The path to closing T-Mobile/Sprint eased Wednesday as a California Public Utilities Commission judge proposed conditional OK. Hours earlier, the state's Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) agreed states wouldn't appeal clearance by U.S. District Court for Southern District of New York. CPUC Administrative Law Judge Karl Bemesderfer’s proposed decision tees up a vote at commissioners' April 16 meeting.
The path to closing T-Mobile/Sprint eased Wednesday as a California Public Utilities Commission judge proposed conditional OK. Hours earlier, the state's Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) agreed states wouldn't appeal clearance by U.S. District Court for Southern District of New York. CPUC Administrative Law Judge Karl Bemesderfer’s proposed decision tees up a vote at commissioners' April 16 meeting.
With T-Mobile buying Sprint and divestitures to Dish Network in court, T-Mobile offered additional inducements Thursday to make the deal seem sweeter to the states in the lawsuit and other opponents. Industry officials told us the FCC order approving the transaction may not do much to help T-Mobile win the case. T-Mobile promised to launch 5G Dec. 6, with 200 million POPS covered at launch and two devices immediately available. Critics told us they're not swayed.
With T-Mobile buying Sprint and divestitures to Dish Network in court, T-Mobile offered additional inducements Thursday to make the deal seem sweeter to the states in the lawsuit and other opponents. Industry officials told us the FCC order approving the transaction may not do much to help T-Mobile win the case. T-Mobile promised to launch 5G Dec. 6, with 200 million POPS covered at launch and two devices immediately available. Critics told us they're not swayed.
California county officials said telecom carriers should improve backup systems, after public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) caused outages: Wireless carriers should install backup generators that last days rather than rely on batteries lasting hours. Some had wireline outages although their homes had power. The California Public Utilities Commission has concerns.
The California Public Utilities Commission approved a settlement between Frontier Communications and the California Emerging Technology Fund over CETF’s claim that Frontier failed to meet a condition on low-income broadband adoption in the CPUC’s OK of its acquisition of Verizon wireline assets (see 1811290037). The CPUC unanimously cleared the agreement at Thursday’s livestreamed meeting as part of the consent agenda. Also, commissioners unanimously cleared extending the statutory deadline for its California Teleconnect Fund review to July 15, and the deadline for state LifeLine program tweaks to Oct. 23. To get California OK for the Verizon deal, Frontier promised to help community groups bring internet to 50,000 low-income households by giving $3 million and 50,000 devices. The settlement “significantly expands Frontier’s commitment to making Internet service and devices available to low-income residents throughout its service territory,” CPUC said in the proposed decision granting the settlement in docket A15-03-005. Frontier committed to providing up to 43,474 more Wi-Fi devices, and completing by March 1, 2020, the installation of public Wi-Fi hot spots at 33 remaining locations required by the deal OK. “The agreement continues the partnership with Frontier to provide grant funding and computing devices to community-based organizations for getting a total of 50,000 low-income households online,” said CETF President Sunne McPeak. “We also appreciate that Frontier revised their affordable offer and is continuing to sign up digitally-disadvantaged residents towards their aspirational goal of another 150,000 low-income customers. As another goodwill commitment, Frontier is immediately contributing $25,000 to increase advertising about affordable offers in their service territories.”
The California Public Utilities Commission approved a settlement between Frontier Communications and the California Emerging Technology Fund over CETF’s claim that Frontier failed to meet a condition on low-income broadband adoption in the CPUC’s OK of its acquisition of Verizon wireline assets (see 1811290037). The CPUC unanimously cleared the agreement at Thursday’s livestreamed meeting as part of the consent agenda. Also, commissioners unanimously cleared extending the statutory deadline for its California Teleconnect Fund review to July 15, and the deadline for state LifeLine program tweaks to Oct. 23. To get California OK for the Verizon deal, Frontier promised to help community groups bring internet to 50,000 low-income households by giving $3 million and 50,000 devices. The settlement “significantly expands Frontier’s commitment to making Internet service and devices available to low-income residents throughout its service territory,” CPUC said in the proposed decision granting the settlement in docket A15-03-005. Frontier committed to providing up to 43,474 more Wi-Fi devices, and completing by March 1, 2020, the installation of public Wi-Fi hot spots at 33 remaining locations required by the deal OK. “The agreement continues the partnership with Frontier to provide grant funding and computing devices to community-based organizations for getting a total of 50,000 low-income households online,” said CETF President Sunne McPeak. “We also appreciate that Frontier revised their affordable offer and is continuing to sign up digitally-disadvantaged residents towards their aspirational goal of another 150,000 low-income customers. As another goodwill commitment, Frontier is immediately contributing $25,000 to increase advertising about affordable offers in their service territories.”
The 2017 federal regulatory and legislative landscape at first glance is likely to be a net positive for the virtual currency industry, executives and experts said in interviews. That's despite concerns about the IRS bid to execute a “John Doe” summons on Coinbase’s customer records (see 1612010046), though stakeholders disagreed whether that will be an isolated incident. Virtual currency businesses appear likelier to end the year with more certainty about federal regulation of their businesses as money transmission services if an ongoing proceeding at the Office of the Comptroller of Currency ends well, experts said. Other regulatory actions involving virtual currency businesses are likely to slow amid President-elect Donald Trump’s push to cut federal regulations, including a temporary moratorium on most new rules, stakeholders said.
The 2017 federal regulatory and legislative landscape at first glance is likely to be a net positive for the virtual currency industry, executives and experts said in interviews. That's despite concerns about the IRS bid to execute a “John Doe” summons on Coinbase’s customer records (see 1612010046), though stakeholders disagreed whether that will be an isolated incident. Virtual currency businesses appear likelier to end the year with more certainty about federal regulation of their businesses as money transmission services if an ongoing proceeding at the Office of the Comptroller of Currency ends well, experts said. Other regulatory actions involving virtual currency businesses are likely to slow amid President-elect Donald Trump’s push to cut federal regulations, including a temporary moratorium on most new rules, stakeholders said.
AUSTIN -- Federal government should support local efforts to close the “homework gap,” said FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel Tuesday at the NATOA annual conference. She urged tweaking E-rate to support connected school buses, federal grants for library Wi-Fi hot spot lending, and creating a federal clearinghouse for sharing these and other local ideas. “I don’t think all good ideas come from Washington,” she said.