Today: US Senate Legislation on Enhanced Transparency Rule, FCC Annual Assessment of the Status of Competition in the MDVP, Georgia Adopts Amendments to ETC Rule

US Senate Legislation on Enhanced Transparency Rule

U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act which would extend a temporary exemption from the FCC’s Open Internet enhanced transparency rule, requiring  internet service providers to disclose an excess of information about their network performance.   “Building a small business is challenging enough without adding burdensome regulations from Washington, D.C. bureaucrats,” Daines stated. “We need to provide relief to allow small business owners to focus on serving their customers and building their businesses, not on complying with regulations.”  “Small providers in West Virginia should be allowed to focus on serving consumers,” Manchin said. “I am proud to take this step to clear these burdensome requirements so our small businesses can continue providing and expanding broadband access to rural communities across the country.” 

According to the Senators, the exemption is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, American Cable Association, Rural Wireless Association, Competitive Carriers Association, Wireless Internet Service Providers Association, CTIA – The Wireless Association, Rural Broadband Provider Coalition, NTCA – the Rural Broadband Association, and WTA – Advocates for Rural Broadband.  Earlier this month, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 288, Small Business Broadband Deployment Act, which would also exempt small Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with fewer than 250,000 subscribers from the FCC’s Open Internet Enhanced Transparency Rule for five years. See the Regulatory Mix dated 1/11/17.

FCC Annual Assessment of the Status of Competition in the MDVP

The FCC Media Bureau has released the 18th Annual Report on the Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Programming (MDVP).  While the number of total MVPD subscribers declined in 2013, 2014, and 2015 (specifically, cable MVPDs lost 599,000 subscribers, DBS MVPDs log 477,000 subscribers) telephone company MVPDs gained 14,000 subscribers.

The number of households relying on over-the-air broadcast service exclusive of any MVPD service increased since the previous report. 23% of all television households rely on over-the-air television service on at least one television in the home. This Report focused on data for the year end 2015.

Georgia ETC Rule

The Georgia PSC adopted an additional amendment to  its rule governing eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs).  The change revises the wording of the non-usage reporting requirement in Section 6 of the rule to conform to changes in the FCC’s non-usage rule.  TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 1/17/17.

About The Regulatory Mix:

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.