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.

The Regulatory Mix will be back on Tuesday, September 6th.

NTIA Broadband Toolkit

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced the release of a new toolkit with insights into effective stakeholder outreach gleaned from NTIA’s broadband work over the last seven years.  The “Introduction to Stakeholder Outreach” details tools and proven best practices to help communities generate support for broadband projects and share the importance of broadband with key stakeholders.  The toolkit outlines a five-step process to effectively engage with stakeholders, which may include existing broadband providers, community organizations such as the local chambers of commerce, or nonprofits that serve local residents, government officials, and potential funders of a project.  These five steps include:

• Developing an outreach plan
• Getting to know and understand the needs of stakeholders
• Selecting outreach tactics and tools to effectively meet stakeholder needs and project objectives
• Identifying and engaging with partners that are invested in the project’s success
• Evaluating the impact of outreach efforts

The toolkit emphasizes the importance of maintaining an open dialogue with key stakeholders, being transparent about a project’s goals and the methods for achieving them, and tailoring broadband messaging to stakeholder groups.  It outlines strategies for prioritizing engagement and the importance of developing a flexible approach that can be adjusted to changing circumstances or needs.  It also includes examples of successful stakeholder outreach strategies deployed by some of NTIA’s broadband grant recipients.  The toolkit is the latest in a series to complement the technical assistance NTIA is providing through the Broadband USA program.

US House Of Representatives Hearing On Rural Call Completion

The House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a hearing on September 8, 2016, entitled, “Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability.”  Members will examine ongoing issues associated with rural call completion.  Despite technological advancements in the 21st century, many Americans living in rural areas experience significant problems receiving long distance or wireless calls on their landline telephones.  The FCC has made some attempts in addressing the problem but lingering issues persist.  The subcommittee will examine H.R. 2566, Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2015, introduced by Rep. Don Young (R-AK), which would require intermediate providers to register with the FCC and comply with the service quality standards set by the agency.

TMI Fall 2016 Telecom Regulatory Seminar & Workshop October 18 - 19 in Maitland, FL -  Schedule and Registration Information