The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said its review of Comcast’s deal to buy Time Warner Cable and associated TWC Information Services and Bright House Networks deals will focus on both the public interest aspects of the deals and the implications Comcast/TWC will have on broadband deployment in the state. The scope of CPUC’s plans, which it said Thursday in a memo will include requests for “significant factual data” from the companies (http://bit.ly/1l7IUhC), will make the commission’s review very thorough, said industry observers in interviews. CPUC said it will use its review of Comcast/TWC to seek out conditions related to California-specific effects of the deal and inform any comments the commission files as part of FCC review of the deal.
Telcordia Technologies, which hopes to replace Neustar as the Local Number Portability Administrator, accused Neustar of delaying tactics. In a letter filed at the FCC (http://bit.ly/1utwCmH), Telcordia said the final 14 pages of recent comments filed by Neustar were completely redacted, with the company “unilaterally asserting national security concerns."
Tech companies united to tell Congress to ensure broadband Internet providers don’t engage in any “market abuse” of paid peering arrangements. The Internet Association submitted comments Friday in response to the House Communications Subcommittee white paper issued as part of its Communications Act update process, one of many comments from stakeholders such as Comptel, T-Mobile and USTelecom (CD Aug 11 p7).
Sprint, T-Mobile and others told Congress that the U.S. needs regulated interconnection, even amid and following the IP transition, said comments submitted to the House Communications Subcommittee. Comments were due Friday and generally not yet released online, addressing a July white paper (http://1.usa.gov/1r0IyeZ) on interconnection that House Republicans released as part of their initiative to overhaul the Communications Act. USTelecom and some others strongly disagreed with Sprint and T-Mobile and slammed the notion of such rules or state involvement.
The FCC seeks comment on closed captioning of video clips delivered using IP. Initial comments are due Oct. 6, replies Nov. 3, the commission said Tuesday in a Federal Register notice (http://1.usa.gov/1ooIsWB). The commission requests information on the application of the IP closed captioning requirements to two additional categories of video clips, and other issues, it said. The FCC also set compliance deadlines for such captioning under the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, it said in a separate Federal Register notice (http://1.usa.gov/1oyUmBJ).
Alabama’s state 911 service fee rose Friday from $1.60 to $1.75 per month for all wireless and wireline customers. Opponents have decried that, because the Alabama 911 Board requires the estimated 200,000 consumers in the state who use the FCC low-income Lifeline program to pay those fees. Lifeline provider TracFone and a coalition of seven groups have been trying to get the Lifeline subscriber rule removed from the 911 fee base, saying Alabama is the only state to require Lifeline subscribers to pay a 911 fee. The Alabama 911 Board adopted the rule last year, effective Dec. 31, requiring eligible telecom carriers (ETCs) to collect the fee from Lifeline subscribers, saying requiring those subscribers to pay the fee made it “more equitable” and better aligned it with state law (http://bit.ly/1qNUuAS).
A spate of petitions from companies has thrust the FCC into the middle of a number of ongoing class-action lawsuits nationwide over whether the companies have been violating the Telephone Consumer Prevention Act by sending unwanted advertising by fax. Companies including Carfax, Merck and UnitedHealth Group are seeking clarification on whether the 2006 rules passed by the commission to implement TCPA require faxes contain an opt-out notice even when the ads are faxed with the prior consent of the recipient, in filings in docket 05-338.
FCC commissioners agreed Tuesday the agency needs to continue pressure to eliminate abuse in the federal Lifeline program, in a panel discussion at the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council Access to Capital conference Tuesday. The next step could be expanding the program to also cover broadband, commissioners said.
Bryan Cave adds Miguel Rodriguez, ex-White House, as partner in its Washington office, in the public policy and government affairs practice … Ex-FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz joins Reputation.com’s advisory board … Garvey Schubert adds Brad Deutsch, ex-Federal Election Commission, to its Washington office, to focus on public policy, lobbying and political law, and on communications, media and information technology … Scripps Networks Interactive promotes Crystal Washington to senior vice president-external relations and vendor management … Lars Murray, ex-vice president-digital media at Columbia Records, joins Pandora as vice president-industry relations … Jeff Blake to depart Aug. 1 as vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and as the studio’s chairman-worldwide marketing and distribution to pursue other opportunities, no replacement named … Frances West named IBM chief accessibility officer, new post.
Several states’ attorneys general and utility regulators endorsed FCC action on net neutrality, with most urging the commission to use its authority under Title II of the Communications Act to reclassify broadband as a common carrier service. Three major groups connected with state telecom regulation also endorsed new FCC net neutrality rules, though of the three only the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) endorsed Title II reclassification as its top preference. Cities of Los Angeles and Philadelphia also weighed in on the FCC’s proposed NPRM. Comments on the net neutrality NPRM were due at the FCC Friday.