The FCC tentatively concluded that incumbent local exchange carriers should get more universal service support under the local switching support (LSS) mechanism if they lose a significant number of access line customers. The conclusion came in a rulemaking notice responding to a petition by the Coalition for Equity in Switching Support. It protested an FCC rule that reduces a small incumbent carrier’s LSS support when its number of access lines climbs above a specified threshold but doesn’t increase support if the count falls below the threshold (CD Sept 3 p7). Republican commissioners supported the rulemaking but distanced themselves from the tentative conclusion.
Advocates for the disabled called for FCC mandates or recommendations to spur broadband adoption by people with disabilities. They responded to a commission notice seeking comment on broadband accessibility for people with disabilities, part of the FCC’s development of a national broadband plan. But CTIA, CEA and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) warned that accessibility mandates for wireless and other devices drives up costs and can stifle innovation.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski turned the commission’s focus to how broadband can help the government deal with poverty and other social ills. At a San Diego public forum held Thursday to help the commission develop the National Broadband Plan, speakers also debated the merits of unlicensed versus licensed spectrum. Genachowski was joined by Commissioner Meredith Baker.
GENEVA -- Shared infrastructure or broadband backbones may be the key to providing broadband to more rural areas, even in highly-developed countries, speakers said at the ITU Telecom conference Wednesday. Such sharing raises difficult regulatory issues, said Matthias Kurth, president of Germany’s Federal Network Agency and chairman of the European Regulatory Group. He said that’s a way to stimulate broadband penetration while minimizing cost.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is pushing consideration of controversial net neutrality proposals past the February commission meeting where the National Broadband Plan will be addressed, commission sources said this week. With the FCC’s two Republicans, Robert McDowell and Meredith Baker, expressing strong concerns about the proposals, long comment periods for a net neutrality rulemaking mean the commission can put off a fight until the broadband plan is approved.
With review of the Verizon’s access line spinoff to Frontier pending, regulators are watching the escalation of financial woes at FairPoint Communications, government officials said. A year and a half after regulators cleared the spinoff of Verizon’s New England wireline operations to FairPoint, FairPoint is close to filing for bankruptcy (CD Oct 2 p14). Competitive local exchange carriers opposing Verizon’s proposed $8.6 billion sale of 4.8 million access lines to Frontier say the deal looks a lot like Verizon’s $2.7 billion sale of 1.5 million lines to FairPoint. Frontier argues its deal is different. Some regulators agree.
The Senate late Monday passed a bill (S-251) that would allow strategic use of cellphone jamming technologies at correctional facilities. The bill passed despite last-minute objections from the Obama administration, described in a letter sent last week to the Commerce Committee. The bill popped up on the Senate’s unanimous consent calendar and was passed as committee staff negotiated revised language with administration officials. The Senate passed it before revisions were made. But a Senate Commerce Committee aide said discussions are in process on proposed changes to the bill, and drafted language has already been submitted to Commerce officials.
Electric utilities and the Utilities Telecom Council put on a full court press on their need for dedicated spectrum for utility operations in comments to the FCC on broadband and smart grid technology. The utilities insisted that commercial networks are not reliable enough to meet their needs. But major phone and cable companies said they're capable. State regulators said they could provide a neutral opinion.
FCC rules prevent many financial players from investing in wireless companies in the U.S., Centennial Ventures, Columbia Capital, and M/C Venture Partners said in a filing at the FCC on the wireless innovation inquiry. The three private equity funds urged the FCC to relax its rules enforcing section 310(b)(4) of the Communications Act, which requires the commission to review investments by ventures with international ties.
A multibillion dollar purchase of all or part of NBC Universal by Comcast probably would be approved after significant antitrust and FCC scrutiny, communications lawyers and analysts said Thursday. They were commenting on media reports that Comcast is exploring an acquisition along those lines. A lengthy FCC application by the companies would be required and public comment would be sought by the commission, said lawyers who represent TV stations. The absence of a rule prohibiting cross-ownership of cable systems and stations augurs eventual FCC approval, and the federal government probably wouldn’t challenge the deal on antitrust grounds, said attorneys and analysts.