Companies, associations and think tanks began weighing in last week on how best to overhaul the Communications Act. House Commerce Committee Republicans announced a desire to update the act in December, and they solicited feedback on their first white paper last month. The deadline for commenting was Friday, and several stakeholders released proposals for tweaking the landmark telecom law, with initial comments emphasizing the role of the marketplace and a need to end regulatory silos.
FCC commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to accept proposals for experiments (CD Jan 30 p6; Jan 29 p3) moving customers from legacy TDM services to IP-based alternatives. The vote came nearly 15 months after AT&T proposed deregulatory wire center trials -- a request that, at the time, divided the industry (CD Jan 30/13 p2). Proposals initiating tests of IP services are due Feb. 20, will have a public comment and reply period ending March 31, and will get a final vote at the FCC’s May meeting, officials said. That’s the earliest any trial would start.
The FCC circulated Wednesday night a draft program comment it plans to submit to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) that seeks to streamline the FCC’s review process for wayside poles that railroads are building for the positive train control (PTC) safety system. The draft would also exempt some PTC infrastructure from review (http://bit.ly/1ffJpho). The FCC began developing the program comment last year amid railroads’ concerns they wouldn’t be able to meet Congress’s mandate to complete work on PTC infrastructure by Dec. 31, 2015. The railroads were concerned the existing preview process under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act would not be able to expeditiously clear each of the more than 20,000 poles in time to meet the deadline (CD Dec 19 p2). An FCC official told us the railroads have “essentially agreed” that the rules in the program comment would create a timeline that “works for them to get everything into our system, reviewed by the tribes and the states and still allow them to get everything constructed by the statutory deadline."
NARUC will consider five telecom resolutions at its winter meeting in Washington, it confirmed this week, releasing a document with all the drafts (http://t.co/xPNT99ZbXi). One proposed resolution, sponsored by outgoing Telecom Committee Chairman John Burke, a member of the Vermont Public Service Board, would ask the FCC to revamp the contribution side of USF. Another draft resolution proposes to improve rural broadband deployment by allowing utilities and critical infrastructure industries to tap Connect America Fund money in unserved and underserved areas where no incumbent provider is given support. Another possible resolution would back location accuracy standards for wireless 911 calls, both indoor and outdoor. One proposed resolution would encourage the National Association of Public Affairs Networks “to establish public affairs networks in every State” -- non-profit television networks akin to C-SPAN, focused on public access and government transparency -- and have each PUC coordinate with the FCC and state executive branches and legislatures, among other stakeholders, to improve digital communications networks. The final draft resolution would ask the FCC to ensure a consumer protection standard before approving any IP transition trials. If approved, it would ask the FCC to make sure “residential and small business customers in affected areas avoid any (i) degradation in the capability, quality and reliability of voice services; (ii) reduction in the availability of voice service options/providers; or (iii) increase in rates for equivalent voice services (such as federal and State Lifeline services).” None of the drafts is NARUC policy until the NARUC board approves them, and the drafts can be substantially modified or rejected outright when considered by the NARUC telecom subcommittee, which consists of state commission staff members, or the telecom committee, consisting of state regulatory commissioners. The meeting will be Feb. 9-12.
Major carriers and telcos opposed a petition by Public Knowledge (CD Dec 12 p13) and several other public interest groups to declare that under Section 222 of the Communications Act, phone companies may not share customers’ call records with third parties, even after removing customers’ names. Although some other public interest groups filed in support of the petition -- and Public Knowledge filed a petition with 7,500 signatures -- other organizations implied their fears might be overblown, given the difficulty of successfully re-identifying information that’s been properly anonymized.
Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., introduced a spectrum bill Thursday, with no text or details provided or given upon request. The title of HR-3916 says its purpose is to “amend the Communications Act of 1934 to promote the expansion of spectrum-based services to exceptionally hard-to-serve populations in unserved and underserved geographic locations.” The bill lists no co-sponsors and was referred to the House Commerce Committee. The bill will also be known as the Promoting Rural Broadband Act of 2014, according to the text provided by his spokesman. It’s part of a broader economic package of bills and ideas focused on the congressman’s home district, the spokesman added. “This legislation directs the Federal Communications Commission to promote the expansion of spectrum-based services, like broadband to extremely hard to serve populations in unserved and underserved geographic locations,” Kilmer said in a document dated Friday pegged to the economic initiative. “It is critically important that our homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals have access to the communication networks that they require.”
Apple settled an FTC complaint that the company let children spend millions of dollars on in-app purchases without parental consent, said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez during a Wednesday news conference. CEO Tim Cook said the complaint “smacked of double jeopardy” since the company had already faced a civil lawsuit over the issue and taken steps to address it. Industry representatives said in interviews that the FTC’s actions simply push Apple to adhere to existing industry best practices. But privacy advocates and some lawmakers applauded the action, saying it raised awareness about a growing issue of concern as children spend more time with mobile apps.
NARUC’s Washington advocacy arm will eye all IP transition and broader FCC developments very closely, its new head told us. State regulators will also undoubtedly be watching what happens with any Communications Act update, a process that is largely welcomed, multiple commissioners told us, all stressing the need for a state role. Michigan Public Service Commission member Greg White was named chairman of the Washington Action Program group of commissioners last week and laid out plans for the group, which tracks all Capitol Hill and federal agency happenings in Washington for NARUC.
LAS VEGAS -- The Internet of Things (IoT) is really about connecting people rather than things, FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen said Wednesday during a speech at CES. Other speakers warned against regulatory hubris and said regulators must exercise a light hand as the Internet of Everything becomes a reality. And stakeholders told us that the FTC can play a significant role in the rapidly developing yet nascent IoT, but details of that involvement remain an open question.
LAS VEGAS -- Safety should be one of the industry’s biggest concerns as the connected car becomes a reality, David Strickland, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, told CES late Tuesday. Strickland, who’s leaving the agency, said he has come to CES repeatedly because he views it as one of the most important annual car shows in the U.S.