Today:  Kansas Legislation Establishes Broadband Task Force, FCC Proposes $5.3 Million Slamming/Cramming Fine, FTC Workshop on Cryptocurrency 

Kansas Legislation Establishes Broadband Task Force

The bill establishes the Statewide Broadband Expansion Planning Task Force (Task Force).  Among other things, the Task Force will identify opportunities and potential funding sources to; expand broadband infrastructure and increase statewide access to broadband services; remove barriers that may hinder deployment of broadband infrastructure or access to broadband services; and consider options for the deployment of new advanced communication technologies.

The bill also requires the Task Force to submit an initial report to the House Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications and the Senate Committee on Utilities regarding its initial work and progress prior to January 15, 2019.  Unless all work is completed and reported in the initial report, the Task Force is required to submit a final report outlining its recommendations to the Legislature prior to January 15, 2020. 

FCC Proposes $5.3 Million Slamming and Cramming Fine

The FCC proposed a  $5,323,322 fine against Tele Circuit Network Corporation for apparently: switching consumers from their preferred carrier to Tele Circuit without their permission (slamming); misleading consumers into believing that telemarketing calls were from the consumer’s current carrier; providing fabricated third party verification recordings; adding unauthorized charges to bills (cramming); and failing to fully respond to an FCC inquiry. The FCC’s investigation was prompted by consumer complaints to the FCC, state regulators, and the Better Business Bureau. 

In addition to misrepresenting their identities, Tele Circuit’s telemarketers also apparently discussed a fictitious government program for low-income individuals and senior citizens as a way to solicit consumer consent.  In some instances, the apparent misconduct of Tele Circuit left vulnerable consumers without telephone service for extended periods of time—with Tele Circuit allegedly refusing to reinstate service until the crammed charges were paid in full.  In light of Tele Circuit’s egregious misconduct and the nature of the apparent violations, the FCC said it will consider initiating proceedings against the company to revoke its FCC authorizations after assessing its response to the Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture.

FTC Workshop On Cryptocurrency

The Federal Trade Commission will host a workshop entitled “Decrypting Cryptocurrency Scams” in Chicago on June 25 to examine scams involving cryptocurrencies.  The workshop will bring together consumer groups, law enforcement, research organizations, and the private sector to explore how scammers are exploiting public interest in cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and Litecoin and to discuss ways to empower and protect consumers. 

Cryptocurrencies are digital assets that use cryptography to secure or verify transactions. They are not created by a government or central bank, but they can be exchanged for U.S. dollars or other government-backed currencies. As consumer interest in cryptocurrencies has grown, so has interest from scammers, who are always looking for new ways to take advantage of consumers. Scams involving cryptocurrencies include deceptive investment and business opportunities, bait-and-switch schemes, and deceptively marketed mining machines. The FTC has worked to educate consumers about cryptocurrencies and hold fraudsters accountable.  This event will be webcast on the FTC’s website.

____________________________

The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’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 an Inteserra Briefing.