Archive Apr 09

Volume 85, April 2009
Editor: Karen Pearl

Headlines

Click on the Headline of Interest to go to the Article

UNE Loops and Line Port Rates, Boundary Information Due to USAC by April 16

KGP Logistics formed through Embarq acquisition

EMBARQ Logistics to Distribute Optelian Optical Transport Systems

Optelian Takes CWDM Off the Shelf; Puts Passive Optics in Splice Trays

Optelian Packs Four Times More Capacity onto Fiber

FCC News

Proposed Second Quarter 2009 Universal Service Contribution Factor - 11.3%

FCC Releases New Telephone Data Reports

Federal Legislation

House Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on VoIP Taxation Jurisdiction

Broadband Stimulus

Nevada Governor's Work Group on BTOP - March 30th

Comments on FCC's Role in Broadband Stimulus Initiatives Due April 13

Agendas for All 2009 Public Meetings

NTA Provides Transcript Files of all Webcasts

NTA Questions Washington Regarding States' Role

Websites/Articles Relating to Broadband Stimulus

new members

dates to note

archives

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Scholarship Winners Announced

The NTA Awards Committee has announced the winners of the John and Mary Louise Christian Memorial Scholarship for Fall 2009/Spring 2010. The Association congratulates the winners and wishes the best that life can offer to all the applicants.

David Tilley, Jr., son of David Tilley, Sr. of CC Communications, Fallon, Nevada

Lance Horner, son of Diane Camacci of AT&T, Sparks, Nevada

(Picture not available)

(Alternate) Allyson Strickland, daughter of Belinda Strickland of Embarq, Las Vegas, Nevada

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STATE LEGISLATIVE NEWS

In an effort to keep you inform about what is going on at the State Legislative Session, the NTA will post those session bills that could have an impact on the industry. The NTA and its Legislative Committee will be monitoring all bills and keep you informed. Bills will be added or deleted depending upon relevance. The following are those that the NTA is actively monitoring. For Assembly (AB) and Senate (SB) bills, please click on the bill number to review that particular bill.

Bills:

AB17

Revises provisions concerning persons who steal parts of streetlights and traffic-control devices. (BDR 15-643)

AB32

Provides that no government, governmental agency or political subdivision of a government may be required to identify or mark the approximate location of certain sewer service laterals. (BDR 40-454)

AB51

Authorizes counties to adopt by ordinance fees for conducting certain activities that result in the disruption of vehicular and pedestrian traffic on public roads and rights-of-way. (BDR 20-447)

AB58

Revises provisions governing residential landlords and tenants. (BDR 10-636)

AB80

Revises provisions relating to excavations. (BDR 40-483) The NTA is testifying in opposition to this bill. Work sessions to amend the bill have had little movement so the parties will state their positions at the Committee hearing April 1st.

AB90

Revises certain provisions concerning the investigation and prosecution of deceptive trade practices. (BDR 52-269)

AB95

Revises certain provisions concerning the investigation and prosecution of unfair trade practices. (BDR 52-268)

AB148

Requires certain health and safety training for construction workers and supervisors. (BDR 53-276)

AB217

Prohibits minors from using cellular telephones and similar devices while operating motor vehicles. (BDR 43-32)

AB233

Makes various changes concerning scrap metal. (BDR 54-53)

Mar-13
8:00 AM

3138

Assembly Judiciary

Amend, and do pass as amended

AB308

Authorizes a labor organization to require an employee in a bargaining unit who is not a member of that labor organization to pay a service fee under certain circumstances. (BDR 53-134)

AB316

Revises provisions governing cellular telephone service. (BDR 58-868)

SB51

Revises provisions governing the subpoenaing of public utility records by a law enforcement agency. (BDR 58-337)

SB59

Revises provisions governing telephone systems used for reporting emergencies in certain larger counties. (BDR 20-471)

Mar-11
1:30 PM

2144

Senate Government Affairs

Amend, and do pass as amended

SB79

Revises provisions governing various commissions, boards and committees relating to health. (BDR 38-327)

Mar-23
3:15 PM

2149

Senate Health and Education

Amend, and do pass as amended

SB82

Makes various changes relating to technological crime. (BDR 14-266)

Mar-26
8:30 AM

2149

Senate Judiciary

Amend, and do pass as amended

SB125

Prohibits the unauthorized possession, reading or capturing of another person's personal identifying information through radio frequency identification. (BDR 15-481)

Mar-12
8:30 AM

2149

Senate Judiciary

Amend, and do pass as amended

SB136

Prohibits certain persons from using a telephonic device to write, send or read a text-based communication while operating a motor vehicle. (BDR 43-776)

SB138

Establishes the means by which a self-insurer of motor vehicles may provide proof of the ability to pay judgments obtained against him. (BDR 43-224)

Mar-27
8:00 AM

2135

Senate Energy, Infrastructure and Transportation

Amend, and do pass as amended

SB258

Requires owners of industrial or commercial buildings to make certain disclosures. (BDR 58-790)

Mar-27
8:00 AM

2135

Assembly Health and Human Services

Amend, and do pass as amended

SCR6

Urges counties to map and document certain county roads to preserve rights-of-way over public lands in Nevada. (BDR R-467)

Mar-26
3:30 PM

2144

Senate Natural Resources

Be adopted

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Industry news
UNE Loops and Line Port Rates, Boundary Information Due to USAC by April 16

All price cap local exchange carriers are required to file CMT revenue, UNE loops and line port rates, and boundary information for each UNE zone with USAC by April 16. Please visit the USAC Website for more information.
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FCC News
FCC Releases New Telephone Data Reports

Telephone Subscribership

Quality of Service of Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers

Telephone Numbering Resource Utilization

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Federal Legislation
House Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on VoIP Taxation Jurisdiction

The House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law will hold a hearing, "VoIP: Who Has Jurisdiction to Tax It?" on Tuesday, March 31, at 2:00 p.m.
Please visit the House Committee on the Judiciary's Website for more information and how to access the meeting online.

Broadband Stimulus

Nevada Governor's Work Group on BTOP - March 30th

On Monday, March 30, the NTA will be meeting (along with some member companies) with Nancy Wenzel, Hearing Officer for the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada and currently the appointed chair for the Governor's Work Group for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to formulate a plan of action for the NTIA/RUS grant and loan programs. Also attending the meeting will be people from Nevada Dept. of Transportation, Nevada System of Higher Education, Economic Development and others.

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Comments on FCC's Role in Broadband Stimulus Initiatives Due April 13

The FCC has issued a public notice regarding comment procedures on the FCC's consultative role in the broadband provisions of the economic stimulus legislation, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Although the FCC has no part in administering funding for such initiatives, it may provide expert and technical advice to both the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS).

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NTIA Holds Webcasts to Address Issues and Concerns

Agendas for All 2009 Public Meetings: March 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24

Written transcripts available of all Webcasts

(Click on the Topic to view Transcript)

March 10, 2009 BTOP Overview Washington DC

March 16, 2009 Private Sector Eligibility Washington DC

Coordination w/ NTIA and RUS

Innovative Programs/Sustainable Broadband/Expanding Public Computer Center Capacity

March 17, 2009 Reaching Vulnerable Populations, Driving Demand and the Role of Strategic Institutions Las Vegas, NV

Coordination w/ NTIA and RUS

Innovative Programs/Sustainable Broadband/Expanding Public Computer Center Capacity

March 18, 2009 Reaching Vulnerable Populations, Driving Demand and the Role of Strategic Institutions Flagstaff, AZ

Roundtable on Definitions of Broadband, Underserved, Unserved

Innovative Programs/Sustainable Broadband/Expanding Public Computer Center Capacity

March 19, 2009 Roundtable on Definition of Broadband Washington DC

Roundtable on Definition of Underserved Areas and Reaching Vulnerable Populations

Roundtable on Rural and Unserved Areas

March 23, 2009 Roundtable on Nondiscrimination and Interconnection Obligations Washington DC

Roundtable on Role of the States

Roundtable on Broadband Mapping

March 24, 2009 Roundtable on Post-Award Compliance and Oversight Washington DC

Roundtable on Selection Criteria

Roundtable on Community Economic Development

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Excerpt of NTA's queries to Washington's Roundtable March 24th

[Editor's Note: The NTA wrote a question regarding one of the speaker's comments in the March 23rd roundtable under the "role of the States" but was deferred to the March 24th webcast. The question was rephrased by the presenter.]

"KAREN PEARL, Executive Director of Nevada Telecommunications Association.

Should states have the authority to prioritize and monitor the top grants in the state? Should they do that, how do they separate themselves from bias when seeking these funds excluding partnerships with private entities? [In other words] if states are involved in the prioritization of the selection process or evaluating criteria but they are also a state entity seeking funds, how do they separate themselves?

Conflict of interest question.

MS. JOHNSON-PATA: The only recommendation I have is if you so choose to give an allocation to states that you would then have a separate pool that the state would compete amongst themselves that would be different from the pool that they were allocating out.

And then I would say my own little add to that is tribes get direct funding and that they don't get moved into the pool with states.

Every state deals differently with the tribes and so their relationships are not necessarily the same and in most states they have not been included in any technology plans as of yet.

MR. MULETA:

MR. MIRGON: From a local government point of view, typically government is not very good in business.

I am a believer in partnerships, states have to be in a partnership, counties, cities, schools, have to be a partner because they are the end user.

But whenever you get government agencies controlling things sometimes we don't always do the right things for the right reasons and I believe the private sector understands a business case in many cases better than government does.

MR. MULETA: I think it's very important for all of this to be driven by an empirical understanding of what problems we are trying to solve.

The data shows that if you are poor, if you are a minority and you live in a rural area, you don't have equal access to broadband.

I think that's a criteria that we have to establish with the states to both receive the money and if you are involved in the decision criteria that's what they have to apply.

That's why the NTIA's process is important.

It would be helpful to have state figure out the structure. "

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Websites/Articles Relating to Broadband Stimulus

Much is being published regarding the broadband-related funding portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A good source of timely articles and information can be found at Benton Foundation Website http://www.benton.org/node/20455.

Others include http://www.broadband4all.com/, http://www.occamnetworks.com/bsp/, http://www.calix.com/bbs/

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new members

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dates to note

April 20-24, 2009 - IP Possibilities Conference and Expo, Sheraton San Diego Hotel, San Diego, CA. For more information, go to www.BuildIPNow.com

April 21 or 22, 2009 - CalCom Next Generation CSR Seminar - by Cronin Communications at the Radisson Hotel, Sacramento - Full Course Description / Registration Form

May 4-6, 2009 - OPASTCO 2009 Legislative and Regulatory Conference, Washington DC. For more information go to http://www.opastco.org/site/meetings/09lrc

Seminar Series for 2009

GVNW Consulting Seminars CLICK HERE

Moss Adams Telecom Seminars CLICK HERE

JSI Seminar Series and Webinars for 2009 CLICK HERE

NECA Training for 2009 CLICK HERE

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