Wyoming Passes 911 Bill

Wyoming passed a bill requiring the governor to designate a statewide 911 coordinator.  The bill also specifies the duties of that 911 coordinator including coordinating with 911 local and state stakeholders to develop a statewide 911 plan and ensuring compliance with federal grant regulations.  The bill became effective March 8, 2019.

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 The Regulatory Mix Today: Wyoming Passes 911 Bill, Virginia Passes Telephone Solicitation Bill, FCC Legacy USF Support After Authorization of CAF II Auction Support

Virginia Passes Telephone Solicitation Bill

Virginia passed a bill that provides for joint and several liability for telephone solicitors and the seller who hires the solicitor to work on their behalf.  The bill provides protection for sellers if they can prove that (i) they did not retain or request the telephone solicitor to make telephone solicitation calls on the seller's behalf or for the seller's benefit and (ii) such telephone solicitation calls were made by the telephone solicitor without the seller's knowledge or consent.  The bill also removes a provision that authorized the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to inquire into possible violations of the Act.  This bill becomes effective July 1, 2019.

FCC Legacy USF Support After Authorization of CAF II Auction Support

The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau announced the legacy universal service support amounts available for price cap carriers and fixed competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (fixed CETCs) after the authorization of Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction support.  Inteserra Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 2/19/19.  Carriers declining this phase-down support will have until Thursday, April 11, 2019 to provide, on a state-by-state basis, notice of such election to the Bureau.  Price cap carriers’ and fixed CETCs’ legacy support will then begin to phase out upon the authorization of Phase II auction support. If a carrier fails to notify the Bureau by the April 11, 2019 deadline, it will be deemed to have accepted phase-down support.

This report shows the legacy support currently received by price cap ILECs for each census block and notes the blocks for which CAF II Auction support was awarded and may ultimately be authorized, after which, for price cap carriers that do not decline phase-down support, legacy support for those blocks will cease. As CAF Phase II auction support is authorized, the Bureau will update the report accordingly.

This report shows the fixed CETC legacy support amounts.  If a fixed CETC does not decline phase-down support, it will begin receiving legacy support at a reduced level (i.e., initially, two-thirds of the current legacy support amounts) beginning the first day of the month after the first authorization of any CAF Phase II auction support nationwide.  Any CETC providing mobile service that believes that it has been erroneously identified on this list as a CETC offering service to fixed locations should notify the Bureau.

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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.