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.

US House of Representatives Passes Telecom Bills 

The House passed two telecommunications related bills.  They are:

• H.R. 2669, the Anti-Spoofing Act of 2015, which is intended to strengthen the Truth In Caller ID Act and protect consumers from fraudulent actors and deceptive text messages by going after lawbreakers who seek to harass and defraud consumers.
• H.R. 2566, the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2016, which requires intermediate providers to register with the FCC and comply with the service quality standards in order to improve call quality from long distance or wireless calls in rural areas throughout the country.

FCC Consumer Alert

The FCC issued a consumer alert advising consumers to be on the lookout for callers pretending to be utility company employees demanding immediate payment, often by prepaid debit cards, credit cards, or gift cards.  If consumers receive a call warning them of a balance they do not believe they owe their utility, the FCC advises that the consumer hang up, independently look up their utility company’s phone number on a recent statement or legitimate website, and call that number to verify the legitimacy of the call.  This scam typically involves disconnection of heating services, with the telephone number of the utility being spoofed so that the caller ID makes it appear to be a call from the utility company.  Among the “tips” offered is to “[a]sk your service provider if it offers a robocall blocking service that allows subscribers to block unwanted calls.  If not, encourage your provider to start offering a blocking service.  You can also visit the FCC’s website on “Web Resources for Blocking Robocalls” for information and resources on available robocall blocking tools to help you reduce unwanted calls.”

Charter Communications Standalone Low-Cost High-Speed Broadband Service

Charter Communications announced the launch of a new standalone low-cost, high-speed broadband service, titled Spectrum Internet Assist, for seniors (65 years of age or older who receive Supplemental Security Income program benefits) and families of students who participate in the National School Lunch Program across its national footprint.  Prospective Spectrum Internet Assist enrollees cannot have had a Charter/Time Warner Cable/Bright House Network broadband subscription within 60 days of signing up and must clear any outstanding debt incurred within the last year with Charter, Time Warner Cable, or Bright House Networks.  Spectrum Internet Assist will deliver 30/4 Mbps broadband speeds for $14.99 per month, plus taxes and fees.

Colorado Telecom Rules

The PUC will continue the hearing scheduled for 12/6/16 to 12/19/16.  There will be workshop on 12/6/16 so that participants may continue discussion regarding jurisdictional language, applicability of rules, and basic local exchange tariffing requirements, and voluntary operating authorities in lieu of CPCNs or Letters of Registration.  A red-line of proposed rule changes is due 12/1/16.  TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 10/6/16. The proposed rules were first issued in September 2016 and were intended to implement changes required by HB14-1329, HB14-1330, AND HB14-1331 (2014 telecom reform legislation).  TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 6/9/14.