The Regulatory Mix - Friday, September 23, 2016

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 Urban Rate Survey

The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau announced it will be soon be initiating the urban rate survey for 2017.  The information collected through the survey will be used, among other things, to develop voice and broadband reasonable comparability benchmarks that will be in place in 2017.  To obtain statistically valid samples, the Bureau will be collecting the rates offered by providers of fixed services identified using FCC Form 477 data (as of June 30, 2015).  There will be separate samples for fixed voice and fixed broadband services with up to 500 urban Census tracts in each.  Since some providers serve many urban Census tracts, they may receive surveys for multiple Census tracts.  Notifications that a provider is required to complete a survey will be sent via email to each selected provider’s FCC Form 477 contact person and certifying official on or around September 22, 2016.  The survey consists of an online reporting form which will be accessible only to the selected providers.  The email notification will provide detailed information on how to access and complete the survey online report form and how to obtain technical assistance.  Completed surveys will be due on October 25, 2016.

FCC Open Meeting

The FCC announced the agenda for its September 29, 2016, Open Meeting.  The items are as follows:

• Improving Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA): A Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would leverage advancements in technology to improve wireless emergency alert content, delivery, and testing, while seeking comment on further measures to ensure effective alerts.
• Review of Foreign Ownership Policies:  A Report and Order that extends to broadcast licensees the same streamlined rules and procedures that common carrier wireless licensees use to seek approval for foreign ownership, with appropriate broadcast-specific modifications.  The item also establishes a framework for a publicly traded common carrier or broadcast licensee or controlling U.S. parent to ascertain its foreign ownership levels.
• Independent Programming: A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes steps the FCC can take to promote the distribution of independent and diverse programming to consumers. 
• Expanding Consumer Video Navigation Choices: A Report and Order that modernizes the Commission’s rules to allow consumers to use a device of their choosing to access multichannel video programming instead of leasing devices from their cable or satellite providers.

The FCC will also consider a Consent agenda consisting of five (unspecified) enforcement actions, a Freedom of Information Act item, two media items, and six (unspecified) personnel actions.  A live broadcast of the meeting will be available at www.fcc.gov/live.