US telecommunications players balk at foreign ownership reporting proposal

A wide range of telecommunication companies and trade associations in the US oppose a new Federal Communications Commission proposal that would require regular reassessments of a foreign carrier's authorization to provide service in the US. Among the opposition, Verizon states that the FCC is proposing, "sweeping, one-size-fits-all reporting and disclosure mandates by which the [FCC] would regularly demand proprietary and confidential details...from all authorization holders, regardless of whether they pose any articulable risk." The FCC estimates that there are around 1,500 active international Section 214 authorization holders in the US today. The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA)—a trade association that primarily represents small wireless network operators—states, "This would suggest approximately 1,125 carriers raising little or no policy concern would be subjected to an ongoing renewal requirement. These carriers would be burdened by new regulatory requirements." Further, the CTIA—the main trade association for big US wireless network operators—warned that aggressive rules in the area could stifle investment.