THE REGULATORY MIX AND BLOG ARTICLES

As a Senior Associate Consultant at Technologies Management, Inc. (TMI), I work with telecom providers of every description in every state in the country. In my experience, the overall industry has shown great resilience, determination, and a commitment to community involvement. The same applies to TMI. I say this because I have a special perspective on the non-profit side of the business world.

Are you planning to attend COMPTEL PLUS in Orlando, September 23 - 26, 2013? We are hosting a FREE 1/2 Day Workshop on VoIP Strategies at COMPTEL PLUS. The Workshop will be held on September 26th at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. Click here for more information.

I live in a historic district in downtown Orlando, FL.  The Historic Preservation Board is very strict regarding what you can or cannot change in this district.   There are not an abundance of options when it comes to making changes to the homes in this area. I think that is acceptable, since the key word is "historic."   There are also not many options when it comes to choosing what utility company you want.  In fact, there are no choices.  You have one utility company that provides electric, water, and sewer and solid waste services.  They call themselves "the reliable one."   They are the "only one."  There is one cable provider, one telecommunications provider, and one gas company.  What's wrong with this picture?

It's a good time to start thinking about your 2014 FCC Form 499 revenue projections, particularly if you are an interconnected VoIP provider. Many VoIP providers have historically calculated their interstate revenues based on the FCC's VoIP "safe harbor" of 64.9%. Those revenues are subject to the Federal Universal Service Fund (FUSF) fee as well as other federally imposed fees. Combined, these fees currently amount to roughly 17% of a carrier's interstate revenues, so it makes sense to consider ways to minimize those revenues and the associated fees.

The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of 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 Regulatory Bulletin.

Until recently, when I thought of VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), I thought about its connection to telecommunications in general and to the work that we do here at TMI. We prepare applications for certification,  state registrations (where applicable), file FCC Form 499 reports, and more for many VoIP providers. 

Technologies Management, Inc. is hosting the half-day Workshop at COMPTEL PLUS in Orlando on Thursday, September 26, 2013, Strategies for Striking the Right Balance with VoIP.  The workshop is FREE (registration is not required) and is focused on regulatory requirements, compliance, and related business strategies for providers of VoIP services.  “We are standing at the point where various services are transitioning to IP technology, including cable digital phone, mobile and landline telephony. Questions have arisen about how traditional regulatory models apply to these services,” said Connie Wightman, president of TMI.

The FCC seeks comment on a petition proposing various amendments to its Lifeline rules. The Petitioners claim the changes will further reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in the program. Petitioners propose, among other things, that the FCC amend its rules to require a Lifeline ETC to: