Telecommunication

It's not every day that big telco lobbyists email me their internal documents about how they're going to try to shift all the negative press about themselves and try to flip it onto internet companies. But it did happen. A USTelecom executive emailed a 12-page document of talking points, asking the recipients to "review the document for accuracy and other thoughts" in order to help USTelecom President Jonathan Spalter for when he goes on C-SPAN.

A federal appeals court has upheld the majority of the Federal Communications Commission's 2017 Business Data Services (BDS) revamp. The NCTA--The Internet & Television Association had backed the BDS remake under FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who had not supported the previous approach adopted under Chairman Tom Wheeler.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement regarding Aug 28's ruling from the Eighth Circuit, which upheld the FCC’s decision to remove onerous regulations on certain business data services in competitive markets: "It’s a good day for forward-thinking regulation. Here’s why: Last year, based on a thorough analysis of a massive amount of data, the Commission adopted a ‘competitive market test’ to determine where regulation of business data services was still needed and where it would impede investment, innovation, and competition.

Bidding in the Connect America Fund Phase II auction concluded on August 21, 2018. There were 103 winning bidders in the auction, with the 10-year support amount totaling $1.488 billion and covering 713,176 locations in 45 states. Of the 974,223 locations in the 30,033 eligible census block groups (CBGs), approximately 73 percent of the locations are covered by winning bids. While winning bids are for a range of performance tiers, winning bids for downstream speeds of at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps) cover 53 percent of these locations.

Sen Maggie Hassan (D-NH) led a group of her colleagues from the Commerce Committee in urging Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to maintain focus on maternal health as the Commission moves forward with its proposed Connected Care pilot program. This pilot would support access to care using telehealth. The letter comes after the FCC released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on supporting access to health care through telehealth in the Connected Care pilot program.

On Aug 17, Public Knowledge joined Common Cause, Center for Rural Strategies, and the Benton Foundation in filing comments with the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau in response to a Public Notice seeking comment on the state of fixed wireline competition. Public Knowledge contends that as the FCC prepares its first annual Communications Marketplace report in compliance with the RAY BAUM’s Act of 2018, the agency should measure fixed and mobile broadband as distinct -- and separate -- product markets.

In this notice, the Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau announces that there is sufficient funding available to fully meet the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) estimated demand for category one and category two requests for E-Rate supported services for funding year 2018. 

US broadband service, already slower and more expensive than in many other countries, could get even pricier. That's because major internet providers such as AT&T and Verizon want the Federal Communications Commission to scrap a key provision that some say helps keep broadband costs low for small businesses and consumers. Under the rule, large telecommunication companies must allow smaller rivals to piggy-back on their networks at rates set by the government.

The Trump administration's consideration of tariffs on Chinese printed circuit assemblies and connected devices would cost the economy $520.8 million and $2.4 billion annually for the 10 percent and 25 percent tariffs, respectively, according to a new study commissioned by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

On August 2, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Third Report and Order (Third R&O) and Declaratory Ruling in its on-going wireline and wireless infrastructure proceedings aimed at removing barriers to broadband deployment. In the Third R&O the FCC significantly revised its rules and regulations governing the pole attachment “make-ready” process, including the establishment of a one-touch make-ready (OTMR) process.