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Wrap-Up Convention 2011 News The NTA is pleased to announce the following:
The photo gallery for the 2011 convention is now available. Enjoy! Rural Telecom Associations Send Letter to Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, Urge Refrain of Use of USF for Debt Reduction
OPASTCO, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) and the Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) this week sent a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction urging the committee members to recognize the long history and legal precedent of the Universal Service Fund (USF) as private funds, and that those funds are unavailable for use by the committee to aid their efforts to reduce the federal debt. "Any taking of money from the Universal Service Fund would not result in an actual cut in the federal deficit," said OPASTCO Vice President of Legislative Policy Randy Tyree. "This sort of taking would only result in job loss and inadequate communications services." (Source: OPASTCO 411, 9/29/11) Rural Associations White Paper on Industry Consolidation Filed with FCC OPASTCO, NTCA and WTA last week submitted to the FCC their joint white paper examining consolidation in the rural telephone industry. This white paper, "Why the FCC Should Not Hold a Position with Respect to Consolidation Within the Rural Telephone Industry," was authored by Harold Furchtgott-Roth, a former FCC commissioner. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 9/29/11) White House Releases Analysis of American Jobs Act; Wireless, Spectrum Issues Included The White House has released its analysis of President Barack Obama's American Jobs Act. Discussion of issues pertaining to wireless communications and spectrum can be found on pages 16-21. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 9/13/11) NTCA Issues Statement Welcoming Formation of Call Completion Task Force September 28, 2011 (Arlington, Va.) – "We are gratified to see that the FCC agrees with us that the continuing failure to route and terminate calls to rural areas merits discussion and resolution in a public workshop. The FCC's announcement that it has formed a task force and that it will hold this workshop is a welcome step toward getting to the bottom of these problems. We look forward to shining a greater spotlight on these issues, and to a thorough public discussion involving both those who route these calls and those affected by such routing practices. Rural consumers deserve to have their calls consistently connected." Google Urges FCC to Adopt Bill-and-Keep Methodology for All IP Traffic Google met with Wireline Competition Bureau staff on September 26, 2011, to explain that adopting a bill-and-keep methodology for all IP traffic would provide the necessary incentives to expedite the transition to all-IP networks. Google also said if the FCC decides to impose per-minute access charges on VoIP service providers on a transitional basis, such charges must be carefully targeted since IP services have been serving as key drivers of economic expansion and increased productivity. Contact List for Call Termination Issues
OPASTCO, the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA), the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) and the Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) recently met with FCC staff to discuss call termination problems. The FCC agreed to provide the rural associations with a list of contacts at interexchange carriers, wireless carriers and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) providers that were identified by the rural associations as being at least part of the transport chain for much of the problematic traffic. These contacts are responsible for addressing and resolving call termination and call quality complaints received by rural carriers.
The Call Terminations Issues Contact List, as provided by the FCC, is available in the member's only section of the OPASTCO website. Please note that providers included in this list have stressed to the FCC that this contact information only should be provided to terminating carriers and not end-user customers. The end user may still file complaints with the FCC and/or with their state public utility commission. OPASTCO and its rural allies continue to work with federal and state regulators, state associations, consultants, standards bodies and other parties to resolve call termination problems as soon as possible. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 9/27/11) FCC White Paper Outlines Vision For Deployable Aerial Communications Architecture Modified E911 Rules for Wireless and VoIP Providers Become Effective Nov. 28 The FCC’s recent order modifying the E911 Rules for Wireless and VoIP providers were published in the September 28 Federal Register, and will become effective November 28. The FCC retained its current handset- and network-based location-accuracy regime and eight-year implementation period first established in an order last year, which required accuracy to be measured at the county level. After an eight-year period ends in 2019, all carriers will have to meet the handset-based location-accuracy standard. The FCC will decide the sunset date at a later time. New commercial mobile radio service networks will have to meet the more accurate handset-based standards created by the new E911 rules right away. The order also requires wireless carriers to periodically test their E911 location accuracy results and share the results with Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), state 911 offices, and the FCC, subject to confidentiality protections. (Source: BloostonLaw 9/28/11) FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules Published In Fed. Register The FCC has published its "Open Internet" or "Network Neutrality" rules in the Federal Register. As noted last week, the rules become effective on November 20 (BloostonLaw Telecom Update, September 21). The Commission’s Report and Order (R&O) establishes pro-tections for broadband service to preserve and reinforce Internet freedom and openness. The Commission adopted three basic protections that are grounded in broadly accepted Internet norms, as well as the FCC’s own prior decisions.
The Commission adopted a more limited set of rules for mobile broadband, requiring compliance with the transparency rule and a basic version of the no-blocking rule. (Source: BloostonLaw 9/28/11) Free Press Seeks Review of FCC Open Internet Order
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FCC Issues Comprehensive Data Request in Special Access Proceeding Collecting Critical Information—Including on Packet-Based
Services—To Ensure Policies Are Promoting Effective Competition in Business
Broadband Market; Key to Jobs, Economic Growth 9-19-11 Washington, D.C. – Taking another important step in
its business broadband agenda, the FCC asked for key information regarding the
special access market—services that link cell phone towers, carry data to the
Internet, and serve high-volume business customers. These dedicated,
high-capacity links are offered by local telephone companies and purchased by
businesses and competitive communications providers. The National Broadband Plan
recognized that special access services play a significant role in the
availability and pricing of broadband services and recommended that the FCC take
steps to ensure that special access rates, terms, and conditions are just and
reasonable. In the Public Notice (PN) released, the FCC’s Wireline
Competition Bureau requested detailed data on special access prices, revenues,
and expenditures. The request includes information on services such as DS1 and
DS3 services, as well as packet-based services such as Ethernet. The PN also
seeks data about the nature of terms and conditions for special access services. Gathering this data is the next critical step in the FCC’s
review of whether special access rates, terms, and conditions are just and
reasonable. (FCC Press Release, Docket No: 05-25 Staff contact: Andrew
Mulitz at 202-418-0827) FCC Contribution Factor The FCC’s Office of Managing Director (OMD) has proposed a universal service contribution factor of 0.153 or 15.3% for the fourth quarter of 2011. This is higher than the 14.4% for the third quarter; and the 14.9% factor in the second quarter, but is only slightly down from the record 15.5% contribution factor in the first quarter of this year. This 3Q 15.3% USF contribution factor is up from 12.9% in the fourth quarter; 13.6% for the third quarter; and 15.3% figure for the second quarter of 2010. And it compares with 14.1% for the first quarter of 2010; 12.3% for the fourth quarter of 2009; and 12.9% for the third quarter of 2009. If the Commission takes no action by September 27, the 15.3% contribution factor for the third quarter of 2011 will be deemed approved by the Commission. (Source: BloostonLaw 9/14/11) national Broadband plan - USF Reform National Broadband Plan advocacy efforts ABC Plan Sponsors File Universal Service Draft Rules USTelecom, AT&T, CenturyLink, Fairpoint, Verizon and Windstream submitted a discussion draft of rules to implement the USF components of the ABC Plan on September 28, 2011. They said the proposed rules are intended to affect only price cap and CETC carriers, and do not address rate-of-return elements of the Consensus Framework. The Coalition also said it will continue to work on proposed rules to implement the ABC Plan’s transitional access replacement mechanism and ICC components of the ABC Plan. ABC Plan Sponsors File Letter on Enhanced Access to CQBAT Model The ABC Plan Coalition filed a letter on September 28, 2011, to detail additional efforts being made to ensure transparency of the CostQuest Associates Broadband Analysis Tool that was used for the ABC Plan filing. They said as of September 28, 2011, the ABC Plan Coalition will offer enhanced access to the CQBAT in the form of two additional user levels: Expanded User and System Evaluator. Expanded Users can produce reports based on the ABC Plan solution set, as well as from customized solution sets created using different input data. System Evaluators will have the capabilities of Expanded Users, plus the additional ability to view, modify, delete, and create input data and solutions sets live within the CQBAT desktop interface. CenturyLink Meets With FCC to Discuss ABC Plan CenturyLink met with Zachary Katz, Chief Counsel to Chairman Genachowski; Christine Kurth, Legal Advisor to Commissioner McDowell; and Wireline Competition Bureau and Office of General Counsel staff on September 27, 2011, to ask the FCC to adopt an Order implementing the ABC Plan and the Consensus Framework. CenturyLink discussed how the FCC could adopt a broadband cost model in time to meet the schedule proposed in the ABC Plan, and how the ABC Plan could be implemented on schedule if there were delays in adopting the model. OPASTCO, Rural Allies File Ex Parte Providing Additional Details Regarding RLEC Plan Calculations OPASTCO, the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA), the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) and the Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) filed an ex parte providing further information about certain assumptions used in the restructure mechanism calculation found in the RLEC Plan. The associations committed to providing further information during a recent meeting with the FCC. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 9/20/11) U.S. Senators Send Joint Letter to FCC Chairman Genachowski Urging Adoption of Consensus Framework for USF/ICC Reform Several members of the U.S. Senate today sent a joint letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski to express their support for reform of the USF and intercarrier compensation (ICC), as proposed by the Consensus Framework established by the rural associations and the large national carriers. The letter's signatories were Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). (Source: OPASTCO 411, 9/29/11)
What's New at BroadbandUSA.gov
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Oct. 5, 2011 - NTCA
Webcast: Critical Employment Law Issues for
Telcos – 2:00 p.m. ET
Oct. 11-12, 2011, - CalCom
“Network Evolution-Telephony to Data; Managing the Transition,”
Embassy Suites, S. Lake Tahoe, NV
Oct. 19, 2011,
The USTelecom Broadband Research Web Summit
Oct 25-26, 2011 - USTelecom,
Wireline and Wireless Finance Seminars for Non-Financial Managers,
Chicago, IL
Oct. 25-27, 2011 -
TelcoTV 2011, 10th Annual Convention and Expo, New Orleans, LA
Jan. 14-18, 2012,
OPASTCO 2012
Winter Convention, Lake Buena Vista, FL Seminar Series for 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011
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