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.
FCC Disaster Information Reporting System
The FCC announced the de-activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) for Hurricane Matthew. DIRS is a voluntary, web-based system that communications providers, including wireless, wireline, broadcast, VoIP, and cable providers, can use to report communications infrastructure status and situational awareness information during times of crises. As such, communications providers are advised not to submit additional information related to the effects of Hurricane Matthew through DIRS.
Kansas RLEC Switched Access Rates
The Kansas Commission adopted Staff recommendations for revisions to Kansas rural local exchange carriers’ (RLEC) originating intrastate access rates and adjustments to their KUSF support. The revisions will be shall be effective July 2017, concurrent with the FCC's implementation of the July 2017 federal ICC reforms. The RLECs will increase their total intrastate access revenue a net $438, 101, comprised of a net $439,457 increase in originating revenue and a $1,356 reduction in terminating revenue. The net impact to the Kansas USF is an annual reduction of $411,976 effective July 2017.
District of Columbia USTF
The PSC seeks comment on the need for changes to the rules and administration of the Universal Service Trust Fund (USTF) as a result of the FCC’s April 2016 Lifeline Order. The PSC determined that the FCC Order, among other things, expands the federal Lifeline program to cover broadband services. This may require changes to the rules and administration of the DC USTF. Written comments and reply comments on the PSC’s proposed changes and comments regarding the future of the DC USTF should be submitted no later than November 7, 2016, and November 21, 2016, respectively. TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 9/8/16.
