NCTA slammed a Public Knowledge official's call for Bell cooperation on regulating business data services, including cable. NCTA cited a blog post by PK Senior Vice President Harold Feld that said AT&T should negotiate with Verizon -- which has collaborated with Incompas -- and that suggested cable could dominate the BDS market if the FCC constrains only ILECs. "This theory is wrong in so many different ways, that it requires some unpacking," said NCTA Vice President Steve Morris in a blog post Wednesday called "Let Some Fresh Air Inside the FCC's Smoke-Filled Tent." He wrote, "It's jaw-droppingly hard to conceive that an advocate who has consistently complained about the 'ILEC monopoly' ... would suggest that the biggest ILEC should join the second biggest ILEC in negotiating a regulatory regime that raises obstacles to emerging competitors. If you are concerned about market power and in favor of competition, why would you ever support regulation that constrains emerging competitors -- particularly competitors investing in fiber networks that are tremendously expensive to build and that everyone agrees are vital to the future of the nation? Does Feld support FCC action to constrain the new small business services just announced by Google Fiber or is it just cable that should be limited?" Despite extensive FCC data collection, "none of that data even hints at" emerging competitors exercising market power, Morris wrote. He said it's absurd to believe that limiting ILEC rates without limiting cable rates "will somehow enable cable to dominate the market," when cable has only a 10 percent market share. Feld's "suggestion that AT&T ‘come into the tent and negotiate’ illustrates just how broken this process has become -- encouraging a ‘wheel and deal’ mentality more apt for the selling of used cars," Morris said. Feld disagreed. "NCTA wants to negotiate a new STB [set-top box] standard for their ‘get rid of the box’ alternative. How is that not also a ‘smoke filled room?’ To paraphrase Captain Renault from Casablanca: NCTA is shocked, SHOCKED to find there are ex parte meetings going on here," he emailed. "Does NCTA really need a lecture on how the ex parte process in a permit but disclose proceeding works? Verizon and Incompas will continue to talk to each other and submit their proposals through the very public process -- just like NCTA will, presumably, someday, possibly, submit some further details on what 'get rid of the box' actually means and how it would work. Then other folks -- like NCTA in the case of BDS, or PK in the case of STBs -- get to meet with the staff and respond. Look, if NCTA wants to propose getting rid of 'permit but disclose proceedings' and do this just on comments and replies with no meetings for anyone, cool. But NCTA should stop playing the offended hypocrite.”
NCTA slammed a Public Knowledge official's call for Bell cooperation on regulating business data services, including cable. NCTA cited a blog post by PK Senior Vice President Harold Feld that said AT&T should negotiate with Verizon -- which has collaborated with Incompas -- and that suggested cable could dominate the BDS market if the FCC constrains only ILECs. "This theory is wrong in so many different ways, that it requires some unpacking," said NCTA Vice President Steve Morris in a blog post Wednesday called "Let Some Fresh Air Inside the FCC's Smoke-Filled Tent." He wrote, "It's jaw-droppingly hard to conceive that an advocate who has consistently complained about the 'ILEC monopoly' ... would suggest that the biggest ILEC should join the second biggest ILEC in negotiating a regulatory regime that raises obstacles to emerging competitors. If you are concerned about market power and in favor of competition, why would you ever support regulation that constrains emerging competitors -- particularly competitors investing in fiber networks that are tremendously expensive to build and that everyone agrees are vital to the future of the nation? Does Feld support FCC action to constrain the new small business services just announced by Google Fiber or is it just cable that should be limited?" Despite extensive FCC data collection, "none of that data even hints at" emerging competitors exercising market power, Morris wrote. He said it's absurd to believe that limiting ILEC rates without limiting cable rates "will somehow enable cable to dominate the market," when cable has only a 10 percent market share. Feld's "suggestion that AT&T ‘come into the tent and negotiate’ illustrates just how broken this process has become -- encouraging a ‘wheel and deal’ mentality more apt for the selling of used cars," Morris said. Feld disagreed. "NCTA wants to negotiate a new STB [set-top box] standard for their ‘get rid of the box’ alternative. How is that not also a ‘smoke filled room?’ To paraphrase Captain Renault from Casablanca: NCTA is shocked, SHOCKED to find there are ex parte meetings going on here," he emailed. "Does NCTA really need a lecture on how the ex parte process in a permit but disclose proceeding works? Verizon and Incompas will continue to talk to each other and submit their proposals through the very public process -- just like NCTA will, presumably, someday, possibly, submit some further details on what 'get rid of the box' actually means and how it would work. Then other folks -- like NCTA in the case of BDS, or PK in the case of STBs -- get to meet with the staff and respond. Look, if NCTA wants to propose getting rid of 'permit but disclose proceedings' and do this just on comments and replies with no meetings for anyone, cool. But NCTA should stop playing the offended hypocrite.”
Groups representing the deaf and hard of hearing urged the FCC to approve proposed rules forcing a transition from the text telephone (TTY) to real-time text (RTT) technology. Carriers have led the move to RTT, though industry commenters are asking the FCC to provide flexibility in the final rules. An April rulemaking notice sought comment in docket 16-145 (see 1604280055). In earlier comments, groups like CTA sought flexibility in the RTT transition.
Groups representing the deaf and hard of hearing urged the FCC to approve proposed rules forcing a transition from the text telephone (TTY) to real-time text (RTT) technology. Carriers have led the move to RTT, though industry commenters are asking the FCC to provide flexibility in the final rules. An April rulemaking notice sought comment in docket 16-145 (see 1604280055). In earlier comments, groups like CTA sought flexibility in the RTT transition.
Automakers and intelligent transportation organizations said the FCC should put safety first as it considers sharing the 5.9 GHz band between Wi-Fi and dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) systems designed to curb vehicular accidents. Wi-Fi advocates urged the FCC to move ahead as quickly as possible. Industry officials told us it could take some time for the agency to make a final decision on the band, and it's unclear whether the FCC will take up a “framework” order before testing is complete. Comments were due Thursday on the June record refresh notice in docket 13-49 (see 1606010067).
Automakers and intelligent transportation organizations said the FCC should put safety first as it considers sharing the 5.9 GHz band between Wi-Fi and dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) systems designed to curb vehicular accidents. Wi-Fi advocates urged the FCC to move ahead as quickly as possible. Industry officials told us it could take some time for the agency to make a final decision on the band, and it's unclear whether the FCC will take up a “framework” order before testing is complete. Comments were due Thursday on the June record refresh notice in docket 13-49 (see 1606010067).
Automakers and intelligent transportation organizations said the FCC should put safety first as it considers sharing the 5.9 GHz band between Wi-Fi and dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) systems designed to curb vehicular accidents. Wi-Fi advocates urged the FCC to move ahead as quickly as possible. Industry officials told us it could take some time for the agency to make a final decision on the band, and it's unclear whether the FCC will take up a “framework” order before testing is complete. Comments were due Thursday on the June record refresh notice in docket 13-49 (see 1606010067).
Overshadowed by a Tesla blog post Thursday disclosing a fatal accident involving a Tesla Model S in autopilot mode, BMW, Intel and Mobileye announced plans Friday to bring autonomous vehicles to streets by 2021. In a joint presentation in Munich, the three companies said they together will develop systems for “highly and fully automated driving to bring these technologies into series production” in five years.
Overshadowed by a Tesla blog post Thursday disclosing a fatal accident involving a Tesla Model S in autopilot mode, BMW, Intel and Mobileye announced plans Friday to bring autonomous vehicles to streets by 2021. In a joint presentation in Munich, the three companies said they together will develop systems for “highly and fully automated driving to bring these technologies into series production” in five years.
Telecom legislation may be reaching a fatal stall in the Senate, said Capitol Hill lobbyists and observers in interviews, as Congress enters its home stretch before a long summer recess. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., told us he expects Democratic holds will stop any expedited passage of his FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) on the same grounds as the Democratic holds currently obstructing the unanimous consent hotline of his Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555): the partisan battle between Senate leaders over the reconfirmation of FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel.