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 Congress

The House of Representatives advanced several bills or resolutions of interest to telecommunications companies.  They include: voice vote.

• H.Res 939, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that all students should have access to the digital tools necessary to further their education and compete in the 21st century economy.
• H.R. 6394, Improving Broadband Access for Veterans Act of 2016, that would require the FCC to study and report to Congress on the availability of broadband for America’s veterans.
• H.Res. 932, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that protections against unwanted third-party charges on consumer telephone bills should be improved to empower consumers. 

FCC LNPA Transition Outreach And Education Event

The FCC announced the 11th LNPA Transition Outreach and Education Plan (TOEP) webcast on December 13, 2016.  The webcast will be  hosted by Price Waterhouse Coopers, LLP, the Transition Oversight Manager (TOM).  Interested parties may register for the webcast here.  The objectives for the webcasts are three-fold: to provide transparent communications regarding the LNPA Transition; to serve as an open forum to gather and understand needs and concerns; and, to incorporate feedback to improve future communications. 

Connecticut Lifeline Eligibility Criteria

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority ordered revisions to the state Lifeline eligibility criteria in order to comply with the new federal Lifeline eligibility criteria. In April 2016, the FCC amended the federal Lifeline program to, among other things, revise the programs that may be used to qualify for the federal Lifeline program and remove state-specific eligibility criteria for federal Lifeline support. TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 12/5/16.