Today:  August 11 is National 811 Day, FCC Chairman Pai Asked to Recuse Himself, FCC Annual Reliability Certification, FCC LNPA Transition Webcast/Planning Session, Colorado CenturyLink NG911 Tariff Suspended 

National 811 Day - Call Before You Dig - August 11th

National 811 Day, observed annually on August 11, highlights the need for homeowners and professional excavators to take the first step to avoid damaging underground utility lines by always calling 811 before beginning any digging or demolition projects.

FCC Chairman Pai Asked To Recuse Himself  

The Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) made an ex parte submission regarding what they see as a conflict of interest that exists with respect to the Senate confirmation of Ajit Pai as Chairman of the FCC, given the fact that he represented Securus Technologies, Inc. as its attorney while employed as a partner with the law firm of Jenner & Block, LLP immediately preceding his confirmation as FCC Commissioner in May 2012.  HRDC says that “not only does Mr. Pai’s conduct give the appearance of a conflict of interest, there appears to be an actual conflict.  Namely, he has never stopped representing the interests of his client Securus Technologies.”  HRDC requests that Mr. Pai recuse himself from all decisions involving Securus Technologies in particular and the Inmate Calling Services (ICS) industry in general.

FCC Annual Reliability Certification

The FCC’s 911 Reliability Certification System is open for filing of annual reliability certifications, which are due on October 15, 2017.  (October 15, 2017 is a Sunday; filings will therefore be accepted until Monday, October 16, 2017.)  Covered 911 Service Providers should file certifications using the FCC’s online portal at https://apps2.fcc.gov/rcs911/.  Covered 911 Service Providers are required to take reasonable measures to provide reliable 911 service with respect to three substantive certification requirements: (i) 911 circuit diversity; (ii) central office backup power; and (iii) diverse network monitoring.  Click here for more details.

FCC LNPA Transition Webcast/Planning Session

The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced the date and time of the 19th Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA) Transition Outreach and Education Plan (TOEP) webcast and the LNPA Transition Contingency Rollback Planning Session (Session). 

• The TOEP webcast is scheduled for August 16, 2017, and will be hosted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLP, the Transition Oversight Manager for the LNPA transition.  These webcasts are one of the channels used to communicate with the public in accordance with the TOEP as described in the Transition Oversight Plan.  One week before the webcast, the agenda will be published on the LNPA Transition tab of the napmllc.org website. 
• The LNPA Session will discuss an introduction to the LNPA transition contingency rollback approach and facilitate an industry discussion on the topic.  The LNPA Session is scheduled for August 16, 2017.  Interested parties can register for the LNPA Transition Contingency Rollback Planning Session teleconference at: https://pwc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0d1ajKXAYeW9afP.

Colorado CenturyLink NG911 Tariff Suspended

The PUC suspended a proposal by CenturyLink that sought approval of an initial tariff setting the rates, terms, and conditions for Next Generation 911 (NG911) service.  The initial suspension period will be for 120 days to allow interested stakeholders the opportunity to analyze the proposed tariff and provide the PUC with input on the best mechanism for ensuring affordable and high quality NG9-1-1 service statewide.  The PUC established a 30-day intervention period for parties who wish to participate in the proceeding.  A hearing on the proposal will be set after the intervention period.

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The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Briefing.