Today:  FTC's Schedule for Hearing on Competition and Consumer Protection,  FCC Renews BDAC Committee, Oklahoma USF Contributions

FTC's Schedule for Hearing on Competition and Consumer Protection

The FTC announced the schedule for its ninth session of hearings on competition and consumer protection with a focus on Data Security.

FCC Renews BDAC Committee

The FCC announced its intent to recharter its Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) for a period of two years, starting on or about March 1, 2019.  The BDAC is a federal advisory committee, which provides advice and recommendations to the FCC on accelerating the deployment of high-speed Internet access.  The FCC is seeking nominations for membership on the BDAC.  Nominations should be submitted to the FCC no later than January 10, 2019. 

The BDAC’s mission will continue to be making recommendations on accelerating the deployment of high-speed Internet access, or “broadband,” by reducing and/or removing regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment and strengthening existing broadband networks in communities across the country. The BDAC will continue to provide an opportunity for interested stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop recommendations to the FCC on broadband deployment, which will in turn enhance the FCC’s ability to carry out its statutory responsibility to encourage broadband deployment to all Americans.

Issues to be considered by the BDAC will include, but are not limited to, measures to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters that impact broadband networks; new ways of encouraging deployment of high-speed broadband infrastructure and services to low-income communities; and other ways to accelerate deployment of broadband infrastructure to all Americans and to close the digital divide. 

Among others, the FCC is interested in receiving nominations and expressions of interest from individuals and organizations representing rural and urban Internet service providers that use licensed or unlicensed spectrum, fiber optics, copper wires, or coaxial cables, or any other means to offer high-speed broadband service; independent network builders and networking equipment installers; and other individuals and entities involved in broadband deployment.

Oklahoma USF Contributions

The Corporation Commission of the State of Oklahoma (Commission) is seeking additional comment on the collection of the Oklahoma Universal Service Fund (OUSF) contributions on prepaid wireless service.  The Commission is seeking comment on whether OUSF contributions should be collected at the point-of-sale and, if so, how such a system could be implemented.  This includes whether the Commission could implement such a system through rules or whether statutory changes would be required.  Comments are due January 25, 2019. Inteserra Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 12/10/18.

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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.