At its November 22, 2019 Open Meeting the FCC voted to broaden the support mechanism for Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS)and replace interim funding structures without affecting the total contributions needed to support the service. The Order:
The Order does not affect the total contributions needed to support IP CTS. The FCC said that its action would strengthen the contribution base for IP CTS funding, equalize carriers’ funding obligations, and remedy any pricing distortion caused by its current approach.
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The Regulatory Mix Today: FCC IP Captioned Phone Service, FCC Proposes to Eliminate Additional UNEs, FCC z-Axis Wireless Location Accuracy Rules
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FCC Proposes to Eliminate Additional UNEs
At its November 22, 2019 Open Meeting the FCC voted on a proposal to eliminate or reduce ILEC unbundling and resale requirements that today may be unnecessary for—and detrimental to—facilities-based competition. The FCC said that these network sharing obligations can reduce the incentives of incumbent and competitive carriers alike to deploy, and transition to, next-generation networks and services.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on proposals to:
The Notice proposes a three-year transition period to give existing customers served via these unbundling and resale obligations time to transition to alternative arrangements without service disruption.
At its November 22, 2019 Open Meeting the FCC voted to adopt rules to help first responders locate people who call 911 from wireless phones in multi-story buildings by allowing them to determine the floor level of a 911 caller. The Order adopts a vertical, or z-axis, location accuracy metric of plus or minus three meters relative to the handset for 80% of indoor wireless 911 calls. This accuracy metric—within three meters above or below the phone—will more accurately identify the floor level for most 911 calls and is achievable, keeping the deployment of vertical location information to public safety officials on schedule.
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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.