CTIA asked the FCC to approve the National Emergency Address Database (NEAD) Privacy and Security Plan, which CTIA and FCC officials say is on circulation. Matthew Gerst, CTIA director-regulatory affairs, met last week with Louis Peraertz, aide to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. CTIA officials also met last week with an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel (see 1710260036). “Wireless carriers’ ability to utilize the NEAD to produce dispatchable location information for wireless calls to 9-1-1 is contingent on prompt Commission approval of the Plan,” said a CTIA filing in docket 07-114.
NARUC blasted the FCC for rejecting what the agency termed the “blunderbuss approach” of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission applying state regulations to Charter Communications’ fixed interconnected VoIP service (see 1710270053). In an amicus brief Friday at the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the FCC said allowing Minnesota to regulate VoIP would disrupt the market, stifle competition and hurt consumers. The federal agency again declined to say if it's a telecom or information service. But its statement could have big impact in the case and on the broader question of whether states can regulate such services, observers said.
NARUC blasted the FCC for rejecting what the agency termed the “blunderbuss approach” of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission applying state regulations to Charter Communications’ fixed interconnected VoIP service (see 1710270053). In an amicus brief Friday at the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the FCC said allowing Minnesota to regulate VoIP would disrupt the market, stifle competition and hurt consumers. The federal agency again declined to say if it's a telecom or information service. But its statement could have big impact in the case and on the broader question of whether states can regulate such services, observers said.
CTIA is pressing the FCC to approve the National Emergency Address Database (NEAD) Privacy and Security Plan that CTIA and FCC officials said is on circulation. The association reported on a meeting with Travis Litman, aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. “Carriers’ ability to utilize the NEAD to produce dispatchable location information for wireless calls to 9-1-1 is contingent on prompt Commission approval of the Plan,” said a filing in docket 07-114, asking: “Approve the Plan expeditiously and provide the certainty needed to help ensure that the NEAD can remain on-track to support the carriers’ ability to use the NEAD to produce dispatchable location information for wireless calls to 9-1-1.”
President Donald Trump extended a national emergency, initially declared in 2006 through Executive Order 13413, that provides the Treasury Department authority to sanction a wide range of individuals involved in ongoing turmoil in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The emergency will remain active through Oct. 27, 2018, a notice in the Federal Register said. Executive Order 13413 cast a wide net over individuals in the DRC responsible for a number of atrocities, targeting in particular foreign individuals and groups operating in the DRC. The order gave Treasury the right to block the transfer of funds associated with sanctioned individuals or groups that are in the U.S., or in control of a U.S. person, or will be in the future.
The FCC’s newly rechartered Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council got an update Thursday on how to make 911 more resilient. That topic, taken on by its Next Generation 911 (NG911) Working Group, was identified as a top priority in the new group’s initial meeting in June (see 1706230049). CSRIC VI got only updates since work is just starting on reports and recommendations.
The FCC’s newly rechartered Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council got an update Thursday on how to make 911 more resilient. That topic, taken on by its Next Generation 911 (NG911) Working Group, was identified as a top priority in the new group’s initial meeting in June (see 1706230049). CSRIC VI got only updates since work is just starting on reports and recommendations.
The FCC approved elimination of the main studio rule 3-2 Tuesday over the expected objections of Democratic Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel (see 1710130054). Rosenworcel also voted against a plan to tweak broadband-service spectrum rules (see 1710240050). This main studio deregulation will “hollow out the unique role broadcasters play in local communities,” said Rosenworcel. Broadcasters can help communities in times of crisis, but “they can only do so when they have a real presence in their area of license,” she said. “Why would an industry that repeatedly extols the virtues of its local roots want to eliminate their only real connection to that very same community?” Clyburn said.
The FCC should investigate the possible impact on emergency communications of doing away with the main studio rule before voting it out, said Common Frequency in a letter filed in docket 17-106. The repeal of the rule is on the agenda for commissioners’ meeting Tuesday. In Puerto Rico, “it was local origination capacity and a live human broadcast staff relaying local emergency information that made the possibility of saving thousands of lives possible,“ Common Frequency said, calling the proposal to eliminate the requirement “troubling.” The rulemaking “aims to turn the nation’s outlets for news, public affairs, and emergency information dissemination into internet streams from centralized sources,” Common Frequency said. “It is imperative for the Commission to investigate the impact of the local main studio prior to voting upon the R&O [report and order],” the filing said. The Wireline Bureau should waive the recertification process for some Lifeline customers of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company until April 1, PRTC said in an emergency petition Monday. The customers in question are being affected by network and power outages and “significant displacement,” the petition said. “This limited suspension and waiver will protect consumers who are unlikely to receive and respond to USAC’s [Universal Service Administrative Co.] recertification notifications, which would cause their Lifeline service to be discontinued at a time when it is most needed,” the filing said. The bureau should grant the petition “expeditiously,” said PRTC.
European telcos and alternative players disagree on whether EU antitrust rules should extend to enable access to competitors in so-called "joint dominance" situations, where either communications providers are actively colluding or where they aren't but the market is dominated by a small number of players. The standoff arose in the context of the European Commission's proposed electronic communications code (ECC), working its way through EU institutions. The European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA) and one European Parliament committee want national regulatory authorities (NRAs) to be able to address joint dominance. Network operators and the EC say extending regulatory powers beyond the current "significant market power" (SMP) analysis would hurt investment and competition.