Today:  FCC Competition in Video Delivery Market, Hawaii Opts-In to FirstNet, Jamaica NPA Overlay, FCC Report on TS Harvey 

FCC Looking At Competition In Video Delivery Market

The FCC’s Media Bureau is beginning to gather information for the FCC’s Nineteenth Report on the Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Programming and is seeking data, information, and comment to inform its report.  The Report will discuss the significant issues and trends affecting competition in the market for the delivery of video programming, using an analytical framework similar to that employed in the past.  That framework categorizes entities that deliver video programming into three groups—MVPDs (multichannel video programming distributors), OVDs (online video distributors), and broadcast television stations.  The report will discuss both intragroup competition (i.e., competition within a group) and intergroup competition (i.e., competition between groups) within the video delivery marketplace.  Other areas for inquiry include vertical integration within the industry’s entities, regulations affecting competition, and major technological developments in consumer equipment.  Comments are due October 10, 2017; reply comments are due November 9, 2017.

Hawaii Opts In to FirstNet Plan

The Governor announced that Hawaii will opt in to FirstNet.  “The FirstNet network will transform the way fire, police, EMS, emergency management and other public safety personnel communicate and share information, enabling them to better serve their communities during emergencies and day to day operations,” said Governor Ige.

Jamaica NPA Overlay Schedule

In September 2016, the Jamaica Office of Utilities Regulation approved an all-services overlay as the relief method for the 876 NPA, which covers the entire island of Jamaica.  The new 658 NPA overlay will also serve the entire island.  NANPA has announced that permissive 10-digit dialing will begin on May 31, 2018.  For further details, click here.

FCC Updated Report On Tropical Storm Harvey

The FCC released a new report on the status of communications services in geographic areas impacted by Tropical Storm Harvey as of August 28, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. EDT.  As before, the report incorporates network outage data submitted by communications providers to the FCC’s Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS).  DIRS currently covers 55 counties in Texas and Louisiana.  The report indicates that: (1) there were a total of 16 PSAPs affected by the storm (down from 17 in the last report); (2) 4.6% of the cell sites in the affected area were down (up from 4.1% in the last report) with Aransas, Calhoun, and Refugio in TX reporting more than 50% of their cells sites down and Plaquemines county in LA the only LA county reporting cell sites out; (3) there are at least 189,487 cable and wireline subscribers out of service in the affected area (up from 148,565), 19 non-mobile switching centers out of service (up from 11) and 22 switching centers on back-up power (up from 21); (4) there are 9 radio stations out of service (same as before) and (5) there are no TV stations reported as being out of service (same as previously reported).                                       

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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.