Today's Regulatory Mix: New York Reminds Consumer to be Alert of Utility Company Calls, Global Telecom Regulators  Release Best Practices for COVID-19 Recovery, FCC Fee Filer is Open for FY 2020 Payments

New York Reminds Consumers to be Alert of Spoofed Utility Company Calls

In a news release, the New York DPS is reminding consumers of a phone scam in which scammers, pretending to be from a utility company, call individuals and threaten to suspend electricity services unless they receive a payment immediately.  Payment has been requested by means of untraceable services such as gift cards, including money transfer apps, including Cash App.

“Scammers are unscrupulous and will stop at nothing to get their hands-on New Yorkers’ hard-earned money.  These latest scams are targeting vulnerable New Yorkers by scaring them with empty threats to shut off their utilities,” said New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado. “New Yorkers should be aware of these scammers and follow basic safety tips to avoid falling victim.”

Department of Public Service CEO John B. Rhodes said, “It is flat-out wrong that scammers try to take advantage of consumers, especially during these uncertain times.  Governor Cuomo has taken strong action to protect consumers, including a moratorium on shut-offs, and New Yorkers should call their utility to ensure their rights.”

Global Telecom Regulators Release Best Practices for COVID-19 Recovery

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has released best practices for 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Supporting the digital economy to grow sustainably and ensure service and business continuity, including in times of crisis, requires regulators and policy makers to find an appropriate balance between facilitative actions to promote digital transformation and affordable connectivity while ensuring long-term social policy objectives are met.  An adaptive, resilient, collaborative and fit-for-purpose regulatory ecosystem is hence necessary for open and competitive digital markets to thrive along with delivering positive consumer outcomes and provide the foundation for Digital Transformation.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that connectivity for all is essential for economic activity and citizen welfare, and key digital challenges cannot be overcome by one stakeholder group alone.  As highlighted by the UN Secretary General António Guterres, in his launch of the Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, ‘Effective digital cooperation is instrumental in achieving the future we want and the ambitious goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’.”

“We, the regulators participating in the 20th anniversary edition of the Global Symposium for Regulators, recognize that there is no single, comprehensive blueprint for best practice and that regulatory patterns for the connected digital economy will be rooted in local circumstances while addressing regional and global challenges, especially now while we strive to building back better with digital technologies across the board.”

“We agree that country experiences can be enlightening and guide us towards regulatory excellence for the benefit of all.  We have identified and endorsed these regulatory best practice guidelines to set the gold standard for digital regulation.  Recalling the series of GSR Best Practice Guidelines since 2003 that capture established regulatory principles, expertise and tried-and-tested practices, our focus is on novel, bold, innovative, and ground-breaking approaches and tools for digital regulation.”

FCC Fee Filer is Open for FY 2020 Payments

In a Public Notice, the FCC announced that it has released Assessment of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FY 2020 Regulatory Fees Report and Order).  This Public Notice announces the opening of the FCC’s automated filing and payment system (Fee Filer) for FY 2020 regulatory fees.  While FY 2020 regulatory fees will not become effective until the rulemaking is published in the Federal Register, regulatees at their own discretion, may submit payments at any time before the effective due date of FY 2020 regulatory fees.

Inteserra Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 9/4/20.

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s 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 an Inteserra Briefing.

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