FCC Toll Free Number Auction Results 

Somos announced the winning bidders in the first toll free number auction held in December 2019.  The 833 Auction bids raised $285,075 with 39 winning bidders winning a total of 1,659 Toll Free numbers. For winning bidders, the final payment deadline is January 8, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). A winning bidder may submit a late final payment within five business days after the payment deadline, not later than January 15, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. ET, provided it also submits a late fee equal to 5% of the winning bid. 

Attachment A to the Notice, entitled “Results by Toll Free Number” lists each Toll Free number won during the auction, the winning bidder, the winning bid amount, the second-highest bid amount (amount owed for that bid), and if the winning bidder was bidding on behalf of a third party, the name of that third party.  Attachment B to the Notice entitled “Results by Bidder” lists for each qualified bidder: the Total Payment, which is the sum of the second-highest bids for numbers won by that bidder; the Upfront Payment Amount; and the Final Payment Amount Due or Refund Due. 

Somos will make available information previously withheld under the limited information procedures for the 833 Auction on January 16, 2020, at auction.somos.com.  This information includes the Toll Free numbers initially selected by each applicant for the 833 Auction.  Also on January 16, 2020, Somos will release bidding information on every number available in the auction, including, for every bid placed on a number, the amount of the bid and bidder’s name. 

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The Regulatory Mix Today: FCC Toll Free Number Auction Results, FCC Releases 3Q 2019 Inflation Adjustment for Cable Operators, Oregon to Consider USF Changes, US House Hearing On Online Deception 

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FCC Releases 3Q 2019 Inflation Adjustment for Cable Operators 

The FCC announced the most recent inflation adjustment factors for cable operators.  For operators filing quarterly using FCC Form 1240, the 3Q19 inflation factor is 1.81%.  Operators calculating the Inflation Factor for a True-Up Period that includes some portion of the 3Q19 should enter the inflation factor on the appropriate lines of Worksheet 1 of FCC Form 1240 as “0.0181.” Operators using this factor for calculating the Projected Period Inflation Segment of FCC Form 1240 should enter this number on Line C3 (January 1996 version), or Line C5 (July 1996 version) as “1.0181.” 

Oregon to Consider USF Changes 

The Oregon PUC has approved a staff recommendation to open an investigation of the Oregon Universal Service Fund (OUSF).  The investigation will identify the procedures to be used for the review, any changes that need to be made to the operation of the OUSF, and other relevant factors.  In 2016, the PUC adopted a 5-year stipulation concerning the OUSF’s disbursement amounts, surcharge rate and fund purposes and recommended that a proceeding to review the OUSF be initiated prior to the end of the 5-year term of the Stipulation.  This proceeding is intended to fulfill that review.

US House Hearing on Online Deception 

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, “Americans at Risk: Manipulation and Deception in the Digital Age.”  “As the Internet has matured from a blogging platform to the engine that powers our economy, bad actors who seek to manipulate consumers have become more sophisticated. They are creating deepfakes and spreading disinformation and misinformation to deceive Americans for their own profit and gain,” said Pallone and Schakowsky.  “We look forward to exploring these issues at the hearing and engaging with experts to discuss how we can combat harmful deception and manipulation online.”  

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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.

Welcome 2020!