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 Copper Retirement Notice
Verizon New England Inc., filed its notice of intent to retire a number of copper facilities in the Washington St., RI Wire Center (PRVDRIWA) and at facilities associated with locations served by that wire center. Verizon has deployed its fiber –to-the-home network in these areas. The planned implementation date for this change is on or after December 23, 2016. After the retirement of the copper facilities, Verizon will: (1) no longer offer services over copper facilities; and (2) cease maintaining the copper facilities. An objection to Verizon’s notice of replacement of copper loops or copper subloops with fiber-to-the-home loops or fiber-to-the-curb loops may be filed by an information service provider or telecommunications service provider that directly interconnects with Verizon no later than October 7, 2016. Click here and/or here for more details.
Verizon will also retire a number of copper facilities in the Columbia Pike, Fox Mill Road, Great Neck Road, Indian Lakes, Jefferson, Merrifield, Springfield, and Stuart, VA wire centers and provide services over a fiber network infrastructure. Verizon has deployed its fiber-to-the-home network in these areas. After the retirement of the copper facilities, Verizon will: (1) no longer offer services over copper facilities; and (2) cease maintaining the copper facilities. Click here.
FCC IAC Nominations
The FCC announced that it is soliciting nominations for membership on the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (IAC). The IAC provides advice to the FCC on telecommunications issues affecting local, state, and Tribal governments that are within the jurisdiction of the FCC. These issues can range from major FCC policy priorities such as broadband adoption and deployment, especially in unserved and underserved rural areas and Tribal lands, strengthening public safety communications infrastructure and emergency response capabilities, streamlining facilities siting, while respecting public rights-of-way, monitoring the transition from “legacy” telecommunications services to emerging wireline networks and wireless networks, and ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the universal service programs. Nominations for membership are due by December 5, 2016.
California LifeLine Workshop
The PUC will hold a one-day workshop on October 14, 2016, to consider implementation of a portability freeze rule for the LifeLine Program. The agenda includes time to discuss the definition of portability freeze, exceptions, consumer education, and implementation. Click here for details. Also see the Regulatory Mix dated 9/27/16.
Nebraska Online Directories
The PSC will hold a workshop on October 18, 2016, to address CenturyLink’s petition for a waiver of the PSC’s directory publishing rules. CenturyLink with Dex Media has asked the PSC to either clarify or waive their rules and to permit compliance by digitally publishing directories rather than distributing traditional paper directories.
