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.
FCC Universal Licensing System
The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau announced the elimination of certain paper correspondence notices related to applications, licenses, and antenna structure registrations currently generated by the Commission’s Universal Licensing System (ULS) and Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) System and mailed to system users through the U.S. Postal Service. The notices being eliminated provide information about Bureau actions that do not require a response from a system user and the information from those notices is available by other means in either the ULS or ASR System. The FCC is not eliminating certain paper notices that provide information about FCC actions or approaching deadlines that require action from the system user. More information is available here.
FCC Technology Transitions
The FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau announced it will host an "Info Session" on Technology Transitions on September 26, 2016, from 1-2 p.m. The session is intended to inform consumers about how the switch from copper networks to new technologies will affect them. The Agenda includes topics such as: What are technology transitions? What do technology transitions mean for me if I have a disability? After a technology transition, how do I make sure that I can make an emergency call during a power outage? The event is open to the public and may be viewed live at https://www.fcc.gov/general/live. During the event, the public can submit comments and questions by emailing livequestions@fcc.gov or via @FCC’s Twitter using the hashtag #FCClive.
Michigan Electronically Filed Cases
The PSC announced that effective October 1, 2016, final orders issued at Commission meetings for electronically filed cases will be delivered via email to the attorney of record and other parties involved in each case. Orders related to residential complaint cases will continue to be delivered by first class mail to all parties involved in each case.
New York Department of Information Technology
The Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications DoITT issued a notice of default to Verizon for failure to meet its franchise obligations. Download the notice here for more details. DoITT Commissioner Anne Roest said: “Over a year ago, the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications completed an audit of Verizon’s progress in meeting its citywide commitment to provide the FiOS network to all New Yorkers, regardless of zip code. In that year span, there has been little progress made in completing its commitment, and no viable plan for how to complete it. With very little getting accomplished through discussions, we have been given no choice but to send Verizon a notice of default under several provisions of the franchise agreement. We expect Verizon to take this notice seriously in order to fulfill its promise to fully serve all five boroughs.”
TMI's Fall 2016 Telecom Regulatory Seminar & Workshop
Tuesday, October 18th and Wednesday, October 19th in Maitland, FL
