THE REGULATORY MIX AND BLOG ARTICLES

Today's Regulatory Mix: Chairman Pai Statement Upon Departure from the FCC, FCC Releases List of Accomplishments Under Chairman Ajit Pai, Oregon Adopts Permanent Revisions to the Residential Service Protection Fund 

Chairman Pai Statement Upon Departure from the FCC 

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement as he prepared to formally submit his resignation: 

“Serving the American people as Chairman of the FCC has been the greatest honor of my professional life.

Today's Regulatory Mix:  The FCC Fines Malicious Robocaller Nearly $10 Million, FCC Chairman Pai Delivers Remarks on the Future of American Spectrum Policy, FCC Releases Paper on Local Television News Operations Measured Against Market Size 

FCC Fines Malicious Robocaller Nearly $10 Million

The Federal Communications Commission today fined a robocaller $9,918,000 for illegally using caller ID spoofing with the intent to cause harm. This individual made thousands of spoofed robocalls targeting specific communities with harmful pre-recorded messages.

Today's Regulatory Mix:  FCC Issues Annual Report on State 911 Fees, FCC Adopts Rules to Secure Communications Networks and Supply Chain

FCC Issues Annual Report on State 911 Fees

The FCC released it's twelfth annual report to Congress on the collection and distribution of 911 fees by states.  The report finds that in 2019, states and territories collected more than $3 billion in 911 fees, and more than $200 million of that funding was diverted for uses other than 911. The report identifies five states—Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and West Virginia—where 911 fees were diverted for other purposes.

Today's Regulatory Mix:  FTC and DOJ Hart-Scott Rodino Act Changes, US Senate Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act, FCC And NARUC Urge Governors To Lower State ICS Rates

FTC and DOJ Hart-Scott Rodino Act Changes

The Federal Trade Commission, with the concurrence of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding proposed changes to the rules and interpretations implementing the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR). 

day's Regulatory Mix: The FCC, Department of Health, and Department of Agriculture Team Up for Rural Health, The FTC Signs Antitrust Cooperation Framework with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom

The FCC, Department of Health, and Department of Agriculture Team Up for Rural Health

The FCC announced that it has partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Rural Telehealth Initiative, a joint effort to collaborate and share information to address health disparities, resolve service provider challenges, and promote broadband services and technology to rural areas in America. 

Today's Regulatory Mix:  FTC Announces New DNC Registry Fees,  FCC Further Extends Temporary Relay Services Waivers, FCC Successfully Concludes 5G Mid-Band Spectrum Auction

FTC Announces New DNC Registry Fees

The Federal Trade Commission has announced FY 2021 fees for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do-Not-Call (DNC) Registry.  The new fees become effective October 1, 2020.  Most FY 2021 Registry access fees will increase slightly based on the re-evaluation required by the Do‑Not‑Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007. 

Today's Regulatory Mix: Court Upholds Most of FCC's Small Cell Orders, FCC Responds to Congress on COVID-19 Robocalls

Court Upholds Most of FCC’s Small Cell Orders

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the FCC’s 2018 Small Cell Orders (Inteserra Briefing Service subscribers see Briefings dated 8/22/18 and 10/24/18,) with the exception of the provision dealing with the authority of local governments in the area of aesthetic regulations. The panel vacated the portions of the order requiring that aesthetic regulations be “no more burdensome” than requirements applied to other infrastructure deployment, and the FCC’s requirement that all local aesthetic regulations be “objective,” and remanded them to the FCC.

Today's Regulatory Mix: FCC Releases Tropical Storm Isaias Communications Status Report, FCC's Pai on Freeing Up Spectrum for 5G, FCC Actions on Stage 2 of the Uniendo A Puerto Rico Fund and Connect USVI Funds

FCC Releases Tropical Storm Isaias Communications Status Report

The FCC released a report on the status of communications services in geographic areas impacted by Tropical Storm Isaias in Connecticut as of August 10, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. EST. This report incorporates network outage data submitted by communications providers to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS).

Today's Regulatory Mix: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Affirms Lower Court Ruling Reversing PUC's DAS Order, FCC Chairman Circulates Order to Ensure Predictable Increases in Mobile Broadband Provided Through Lifeline Program

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Affirms Lower Court Ruling Reversing PUC’s DAS Order

In June 2018, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania reversed the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) March 2017 Distributed Antennae Systems (DAS) Order.  The Court determined that DAS network operators’ transport service is a telecommunications service under PA law even though Wireless Service Providers (WSP) use it to transmit a service not regulated by the PUC (i.e. CMRS).  The Court decided that DAS network operators are a public utility, reversed the PUC’s March 2017 decision, and returned jurisdiction to the PUC to issue certificates of public convenience (CPC) to providers of DAS.

Today's Regulatory Mix: NARUC Urges Review Of Intrastate Inmate Calling Rates, New DEPLOY Broadband Act Would Fund Rural Broadband Development, FCC Chairman Announces Progress on Addressing Diameter Network Security Issues

NARUC Urges Review of Intrastate Inmate Calling Rates

In a press release, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners said it agrees with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on the issue of exorbitant inmate calling rates See the Regulatory Mix dated7/21/20 and is urging its member state commissions to review inmate calling rates in their respective jurisdictions.  NARUC President Presley said in part: