West Virginia pole attachment rules should let states opt out of automatically adopting changes to federal rules, Public Service Commission staff replied in docket GO 261. The PSC is weighing rules after the state reverse pre-empts FCC authority (see 1911080016). Staff agreed with an opt out suggested by fiber company Segra, but disagreed with the West Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association’s suggestion to tweak wording of a rule on the utility’s burden when arguing a proposed rate is below its incremental costs. Don’t adopt changes proposed by power companies, including the FCC definition for pole attachment, telecom rate formula and self-help remedy, staff said. In other Thursday replies, WVCTA, CTIA and Frontier Communications also opposed the utilities’ ideas.
State and federal officials vote this week on policies to advance IP captioned telephone services that offer speech captioning through internet-based communications for use by the deaf or hard of hearing. NARUC members at their conference in San Antonio will consider a resolution that would ask the FCC to adopt service quality standards for all IP CTS providers before migrating to exclusively automated speech recognition (ASR) services (see 1911050040).
Jobs remain an issue in T-Mobile's buying Sprint, stakeholders agreed. They differ on whether the deal would lead to more employment or hurt unionization. At the Capitol Forum Thursday and in Q&A with us, those for and against the deal expanded on existing policy positions. Topics included rollout of attorneys general backing the transaction after reaching pacts for the combined company to locate jobs in their states.
The California Public Utilities Commission’s look into rate affordability includes communications, Commissioner Cliff Rechtschaffen said Friday in docket R.18-07-006. The telecom industry argued federal law stops the state from scrutinizing broadband (see 1909230048). The commissioner scheduled a revised staff proposal to be filed by Jan. 22, with comments due Feb. 21, replies March 6. He anticipates a proposed decision in May and commission decision in June.
Power companies reminded West Virginia it’s not bound by federal rules as the Public Service Commission develops pole-attachment regulations. The PSC collected comments Thursday after lawmakers reverse pre-empted the FCC (see 1910150014). West Virginia aims to join 20 other states and Washington, D.C.
The FCC is again under pressure to mandate backup power for cellsites, after widespread outages during California wildfires. The issue isn’t new, and questions are growing. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel told us now is time to act.
The FCC should reduce equal employment opportunity filing obligations rather than accede to diversity group calls for stiffer enforcement, said broadcasters, NAB, NCTA and America’s Communication Association in reply comments posted through Tuesday in docket 19-177. Broadcast opponents said stiffer EEO rules would likely be unconstitutional, but diversity groups such as the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights disagreed.
Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., believes President Donald Trump's administration and the FCC are finally unified on 5G strategy and related spectrum issues. That's despite misgivings ranking member Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel voiced during a Thursday committee hearing. The FCC released a draft proposal Tuesday to bar USF funding for the purchase of telecom equipment from companies “posing a national security threat to the integrity of communications networks or the communications supply chain.” The order is seen as targeted at Chinese equipment manufacturers Huawei and ZTE (see 1910300036).
The FCC released drafts of rules Tuesday to modernize unbundling and resale requirements for LECs, update suspension and debarment rules for telecom relay services programs, and modify cost recovery rules for IP-captioned telephone service (IP CTS), a form of TRS. Commissioners tentatively will vote at their Nov. 19 meeting (see 1910280054). Deregulating what incumbents must provide rival telecoms would include transition periods.
The FCC released a draft proposal Tuesday to ban equipment from Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE from networks funded by the USF. Industry officials largely welcomed the order. Huawei signaled it will fight. Commissioners are scheduled to vote Nov. 19, after Chairman Ajit Pai circulated the item Monday (see 1910280054). The FCC also posted proposed new 911 location accuracy rules.