Today: CRTC Assigns New Area Code Assigned in Canada, FCC E-Rate Program Report, Texas Universal Service Assessment Exemptions
CRTC Assigns New Area Code in Canada
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) determined that area code relief for eastern Quebec area codes 418/581 be provided through a distributed overlay of new area code 367 starting 24 November 2018. The area served by NPA Codes 418/581 and the new 367 NPA Code consists of 258 Exchange Areas, including Exchange Areas of Alma, Chicoutimi, La Malbaie, Levis, Montmagny, Québec, Rimouski, Rivière-du-Loup, Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, St-Georges-de-Beauce, St-Felicien and Thetford Mines in the northern and eastern parts of the province of Québec in Canada. The CRTC approved the relief implementation plan that was submitted by the relief planning committee. (See also NANPA Planning Letter 504.)
FCC E-Rate Program Report
Chairman Ajit Pai responded to Senator Nelson’s letter concerning the FCC’s decision to revoke the E-rate Program Modernization Progress Report issued in January 2017. See the Regulatory Mix dated 2/6/17. In defense of the action, Pai noted several procedural irregularities associated with the release of the report saying: “The report at issue was released in the last days of the previous Administration. Not only were Commissioners not given the traditional 48 hours to review it, but it was not shown at all to Commissioners before being released. This was unacceptable and an abuse of the FCC's processes. Reports like this should not be (and henceforth, will not be) issued without advance notice being provided to Commissioners. Revocation simply affirms that a report issued improperly has no legal or other effect going forward and does not necessarily reflect the views of a majority of Commissioners. With that said, the report will remain available on the agency's website for public review.”
Texas Universal Service Assessment Exemptions
The Texas PUC is seeking comment on a strawman rule drafted by staff that would clarify the entities subject to the Texas Universal Service Fund (TUSF) assessment. The new language excludes hotels, motels, owners or lessors of an office or residential building development that contracts and pays for telecommunications services for resale to guests or tenants, and a development that contracts and pays for telecommunications services for resale to guests or tenants from the assessment. Comments are due April 13, 2017.
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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.
TMI Telecom Regulatory Seminar and Workshop May 9 & 10, 2017
