Wireless growth was a significant part of the overall broadband growth for the 6 months measured in the latest FCC “High-Speed Services for Internet Access” report. Many report’s findings support conventional wisdom: Income, population density and geographic location played a significant part in broadband access and penetration, and the overall number served continued to climb the first half of 2006. Players on different sides of important debates used the report as fodder for their arguments.
Switzerland’s 3 largest mobile telephony providers agreed to cut mobile termination charges 25-40% by 2009, the Swiss Federal Communications Commission (ComCom), said Mon. Orange, Swisscom Mobile and Sunrise each complained last year to them of high termination charges. The agreement stopped 6 lengthy administrative procedures before ComCom and perhaps before the federal administrative court. Two interconnection requests by fixed network operators to set mobile termination charges are still pending, ComCom said. Price reductions by 2009 will be by 25% to 15 Swiss cents for Swisscom, and by 40% to 18 Swiss cents for Orange and Sunrise.
Verizon asked for federal court review of a special access condition, added when the FCC approved the AT&T- BellSouth merger, that may affect pricing offered by other Bells (CD Jan 8 p2). Verizon on Tues. petitioned the U.S. Appeals Court, D.C. to vacate the condition based on a news release the FCC issued Dec. 29 outlining its decision. The company said it will file a 2nd petition when the Commission issues the text of its decision. Verizon told the court the FCC order wouldn’t let the telco take advantage of the reduced prices offered by the merged AT&T for “DS1 and DS3 channel termination services, DS1 and DS3 mileage services, and Ethernet services… unless the Verizon local telephone companies accept similar conditions when selling the same Verizon services.” This is “unreasonably discriminatory” and violates the U.S. Constitution, the Communications Act and the Administrative Procedures Act, and the court should “hold unlawful, vacate, enjoin and set aside” that part of the merger order, Verizon said. Qwest, which also has expressed concern about the language, hasn’t said whether it plans to file a similar petition.
Cable operators denied CableCARD waivers will find the 8th floor sympathetic, said agency officials. Commissioners seem aware that not waiving the looming set-top box navigation and security ban could raise cable operators’ costs, said communications lawyers. Wed., Comcast became the first cable operator to appeal a Media Bureau waiver denial (CD Jan 11 p1). The FCC must vote on such appeals.
Bills filed in the 2007 state legislatures are taking on video franchising reform, state commission regulatory authority, broadband service and the perennial topic of wireless phone use while driving.
New FCC Media Bureau (MB) chief Monica Desai was praised by lawyers for an ability to quickly learn about the great breadth of telecom and communications issues that she has dealt with her 7 years at the FCC. Incoming International Bureau Chief Helen Domenici also won plaudits, as agency staffers said they were pleased with her selection. The appointments were announced late Mon. by Chmn. Martin (CD Jan 9 p9).
Old jealousies over committee handling of matters related to interoperability flared Tues. as the House took up the 9/11 Commission bill (HR-1). Rep. Stupak (D-Mich.) voiced concern at proposals in the bill he said would cause an overlap of jurisdictional interest “in a number of areas.” Homeland Security Committee Chmn. Thompson (D-Miss.) agrees committees should work together, he said.
Public safety groups are likely to oppose an FCC proposal that would give DoD and other federal agencies access to 12 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum that the FCC is examining for a public safety broadband network, we're told.
Among German priorities in assuming the EU Presidency Jan. 1 will be progress on revising the EU e-communications regulatory framework (NRF), its work program says. Telecom experts disputed whether Germany’s tense relations with the EC over controversial national legislation poised to grant Deutsche Telekom (DT) a regulatory break for its new fiber networks could stymie that progress.
Four municipal coalitions are discussing what action to take in response to the FCC’s franchise order (CD Dec 21 p1). Cities believe it may overstep Commission authority, said Libby Beaty, exec. dir. of the National Assn. of Telecom Officers & Advisors Her group is collaborating with the National Assn. of Counties, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The groups sent Chmn. Martin a letter Dec. 12 saying Title 6 of the Telecom Act doesn’t allow the agency to intervene in franchising. The Alliance for Community Media, which advocates on behalf public access channels, also is involved in the discussions, Beaty said.