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State Legislators Already Getting Ready for 2011 Bill Draft Requests (BDRs) are already coming in hot and heavy for the upcoming legislative session that begins February 7, 2011. The NTA is already tracking bills and will monitor how things are shaping up in the coming legislative session. See State Legislation below to see the list of BDRs the NTA has already spotted. convention 2011 The 2011 annual convention will be held at Harvey's Lake Tahoe, August 16-18, 2011. Hot August Nights classic car show will be held in Reno through August 14th. Mark your calendar and extend your vacation!
PUCN Moves Its Las Vegas Office
The new address for the Public Utilities Commission in Las Vegas will be: 9075 West Diablo Drive, Suite 250 Las Vegas, NV 89148 The new office on Diablo Drive is easily accessible from S. Fort Apache
Drive, between W. Tropicana Avenue and W. Russell Road, within view of the Route
215 Beltway. Be advised that all fax and phone numbers will remain the same. SBA Publishes Report on Small Business Use of High-Speed Internet The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently released a report examining various aspects of small businesses' use of broadband. In particular, The Impact of Broadband Speed and Price on Small Business focuses on the importance of price and speed, and it finds that these two factors vary considerably between urban and rural small businesses. The report also offers policy recommendations, which include implementation of certain components of the National Broadband Plan. (Source OPASTCO 411, Nov. 18, 2010) Innovative Systems 400th APMAX Reaches the Telecommunications Market in Less Than 36 Months Joint Board Recommends Lifeline, Link-Up Rules NARUC Adopts Traffic Pumping, Stimulus Funding Resolutions The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), at its recent annual meeting in Atlanta, adopted two telecommunications resolutions. First, NARUC acknowledged the need for the FCC to act quickly to address the issue of traffic pumping and not wait for the finalization of comprehensive intercarrier compensation reform; and support the FCC to move quickly in WC Docket 07-135 to issue a declaratory ruling on traffic pumping; and to consider further efforts to adopt interim rules to limit or prohibit similar schemes of inter-carrier compensation arbitrage as recommended in the National Broadband Plan. Disappointingly, the Telecommunications Committee did not include the issue of phantom traffic in the resolution; however, it was suggested by at least one dele-gate that the issue could be in a separate resolution at the February 2011 Winter Meeting. Second, NARUC urged Congress to assure the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Rural Utilities Service (RUS) that they have adequate funds to continue oversight of the Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program (BTOP) and Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) grant and loan awards, before the continuing resolution (CR) expires on December 3, 2010, either through a supplement to any successor CRs or by enactment of the FY 2011 budget. (Source: BloostonLaw 11-24-10) Revised FCC E-Rate Forms Effective Jan. 11 The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau has announced that the revised versions of FCC Forms 470 and 471 have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget, and that the forms would be available for use by E-Rate program participants by Jan. 11, 2011. The FCC notes that the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will accept the forms' previous versions for funding year 2011, and that Forms 470 that already have been filed do not need to be resubmitted. For more information, please visit the USAC website. Wireless E-911 Location Accuracy Rules Effective Jan. 18 The FCC has published in the Federal Register that its rules to require wireless licensees subject to standards for wireless enhanced 911 (E-911) phase II location accuracy and reliability will be effective Jan. 18, 2011. Such licensees will be required to satisfy these standards at either the county-based or public safety answering point (PSAP)-based geographic level. (Source OPASTCO 411, Nov. 18, 2010). FCC Rules: Nomadic Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Providers to Contribute to State USF national Broadband plaN - USF Reform
National Broadband Plan advocacy efforts
OPASTCO, Rural Allies Meet with Fed-State Joint Board on Separations to
Discuss National Broadband Plan Recommendations
OPASTCO and fellow associations the National Exchange Carrier Association
(NECA), the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA),
the Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) and the Rural Alliance
met
with a representative of the Federal-State Joint Board on Separations.
Similar to their meeting earlier in the month with the Federal-State Joint
Board on Universal Service, the associations presented their joint
position papers that address promoting and sustaining rural broadband,
while also ensuring that high-cost service areas are supported adequately
and do not suffer from an urban-rural digital divide (OPASTCO 411, Nov.23,
2010)
OPASTCO, NTCA File Comments with FCC on Proposed Wholesale Obligations for
Rural Business Broadband Provider
OPASTCO and the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA)
filed comments with the FCC
regarding proposed wholesale obligations for rural business broadband
providers, as recommended in the National Broadband Plan. OPASTCO
and NTCA said that these new conditions would impede broadband investment
by rural service providers in high-cost areas, which would contribute to a
widening digital divide between urban and rural communities. The
associations also stressed that interoperability in the 700 MHz spectrum
band is essential for rural service providers seeking to offer robust
mobile broadband products, as this is a considerable factor in the success
rural communities will achieve in attracting and retaining businesses.
For more information, please contact Steve Pastorkovich, OPASTCO's
director of business development and senior policy analyst, at
202/659-0715 or
sfp@opastco.org.
USDA Submits Comments to FCC Supporting Development of National Broadband
Plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) submitted comments to the FCC
expressing support for the development of the National Broadband Plan
based on the USDA's experience in financing broadband projects in rural
America. USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Administrator Jonathan
Adelstein also sent a letter to the Commission in which he offered to make
RUS data available to the FCC as it evaluates broadband deployment
policy. Of note, Adelstein wrote that RUS and the FCC could work together
to ensure that the "right mix of incentives are available to attract
private sector investment into otherwise uneconomic areas." For more
information,
please visit the USDA RUS website.
(Source: OPASTCO 411, Nov. 12, 1010)
OPASTCO Urges Senate Commerce Committee to Recognize How Retransmission Consent Increases Broadband Consumer Adoption
OPASTCO has urged
the Senate Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications, Technology,
and the Internet to recognize how retransmission affects broadband
consumer adoption.
The subcommittee held a hearing on retransmission consent
(411, Nov. 5).
Nevada
Assembly Republicans Elect Pete Goicoechea to lead GOP caucus
Members
of the Nevada Republican Assembly Caucus elected Assemblyman Pete
Goicoechea (Eureka) as their leader. The GOP Caucus met in Reno at the
Hyatt Place Hotel to discuss leadership and policy issues. NTA Bill Tracking
What's New at BroadbandUSA.gov NTIA Issues Report on Wireless Broadband Spectrum Availability The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) yesterday published a report recommending greater spectrum availability be allocated for wireless broadband service within the next five years. The report also outlines which spectrum should be reconfigured for wireless broadband, as well as various incentives that could be implemented to attract investment and innovation. The report is available from the Commerce Department website. Commerce Department OIG Releases BTOP Oversight Report The Department of Commerce's Office of Inspector General (OIG) this week released a report on efforts by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish an effective post-award process for its broadband economic stimulus program, the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The OIG determined that NTIA should strengthen its post-award monitoring and oversight practices, despite the fact that federal funding for BTOP oversight will not be available after Dec. 3. The full report is available from the OIG website. (Source: OPASTCO 411, Nov. 12, 2010)
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December 8, 2010 - Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council, “The Future
of Video, Telcos and Smart Grid: Going for the Gigabit," Arizona Biltmore
Hotel - Phoenix. To register and for more information,
click here.
January 11-15, 2011 - NTCA Wireless
Symposium, Hyatt Savannah, Savannah, GA,
www.ntca.org/events
February 8-10, 2011 - GVNW 2011 Strategic Planning Seminar,
Waikoloa on the Big Island of Hawaii. For more information
click here.
March 6-8, 2011 - NTCA Telecom
Executive Forum, Phoenix, AZ. For more information
click here.
April 3-6, 2011 - WTA Spring Meeting,
Napa, CA For more information
click here. Seminar Series for 2011
November 2010 October 2010 September 2010
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