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One of our past Presidents, Margaret McMillian, suggested that since all of you do not know me that a short biography would be nice. So here you are. I have been in the telecommunications industry for thirty years. My background is in Information Technologies project development. As Team Lead on projects I have worked with leadership in various departments, Outside Plant Engineering, Network Engineering, Accounting, Logistics, Capital Projects, Right-Of-Way, Business Office and Regulatory. My last assignment was as Senior Technical Architect of the Service Request Module in the Middleware Organization. My team was responsible for developing and maintaining interfaces to customer facing web sites that required service order data from various Business Office back end systems. It was a great career and I have many fond memories. I retired four years ago from, take your pick, Nevada Bell/Pacific Telesis/SBC/AT&T. On a personal note, I love to play golf (not very well), hiking and fishing. We usually take a salmon trip the first of August in upper British Columbia, Canada. I hold our groups record with a 51 pound king salmon. There is a little, stuff, about me. I hope to meet all of you some day (possibly at the annual convention) and share and hear each of your stories. Mike Eifert CPNI Annual Certification Due March 1 Carriers should modify (as necessary) and complete their "Annual Certification of CPNI Compliance" for 2011. The certification must be filed with the FCC by March 1, 2012. In 2007, the FCC Enforcement Bureau conducted a computerized audit to identify any non-filers, who then faced potential monetary fines of up to $20,000. (Source: Blooston Law, 1/18/2012)
Comments
on NECA's Proposed 2012 Average Schedule Modifications Due The FCC is now accepting comments on NECA's proposed modification of average schedule formulas for interstate settlements beginning July 1 through June 30, 2013. Comments are due Feb. 14. Reply comments are due Feb. 24. national Broadband plan - Connect America Fund - USF/ICC Reform OPASTCO, the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA), the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) and the Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) last week filed comments with the FCC in response to its further notice of proposed rulemaking (FNPRM) on reform of the Universal Service Fund (USF) and intercarrier compensation (ICC). The associations expressed the following positions to the FCC:
OPASTCO, Rural Associations Ask FCC to Clarify New USF/ICC Rules OPASTCO, the Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance (ITTA), NECA, NTCA and WTA yesterday filed a petition for clarification with the FCC regarding recently adopted USF/ICC rules. Specifically, the associations seek clarification of regulations relating to a new "local urban rate floor" that carriers must meet in order to obtain high-cost USF support, as it is not clear whether or not the rules permit carriers sufficient time to implement rate changes that would determine their eligibility for high-cost loop support (HCLS). (Source: OPASTCO 411, 1/24/2012) NARUC Files Petition for Review of the USF and ICC Reform Order NARUC filed a Petition for Review of the USF and ICC Reform Order with the D.C. Circuit Court on January 20, 2012, requesting that portions of the Order be vacated, set aside, modified, and/or enjoined, and the matter remanded with directions to the FCC, and that the Court provide such other relief as is just and proper. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated the separately-filed Petitions for Review into the Tenth Circuit on December 15, 2011. (Source: Washington Watch, 1/23/2012) NECA Discusses Implementation Details of USF and ICC Reform Order With FCC NECA met with Wireline Competition Bureau staff on January 24, 2012, to discuss implementation details of the November 18, 2011 USF and ICC Reform Order. NECA requested clarification as to whether Access Recovery Charge revenues and Connect America Fund ICC support revenues should be treated as wholly interstate for reporting purposes. NECA also discussed a discrepancy in the prescribed calculation of “Eligible Recovery” for RoR companies in the Order and the FCC’s rules. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 1/26/2012) Rural Associations Raise Concerns with USDA & White House Rural Council NTCA, OPASTCO and WTA sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack this morning to express concerns about chilling uncertainty and the lack of a clear and sustainable “broadband vision” for small, rural carriers in the context of universal service and intercarrier compensation reforms. The associations request the support of the White House Rural Council and administration officials in emphasizing the need to restore regulatory certainty and the need for a sufficient and predictable Connect America Fund that will enable the deployment of broadband by small, rural, community-based providers. (Source: NTCA Advocacy News, 1/12/2012) Rural Associations Meet With FCC to Discuss Ongoing Rural Call Completion Problems OPASTCO, NTCA, WTA, and NECA met with Wireline Competition Bureau staff on January 25, 2012, to discuss the ongoing problem of calls not properly completing to consumers in rural areas. The Rural Associations also expressed frustration with the industry’s lack of appropriate and timely response, and noted while the rural trade groups continue to engage with originating carriers, IXCs, and other industry groups, Commission action is required. The Rural Associations stated it is past time to closely examine the practices and data of originating and interexchange carriers, as well as other entities such as least cost routers, that lie between an originating caller and the terminating network, to determine a resolution to this ongoing crisis. (Source: Washington Watch, 1/27/2012) Link Up for America Coalition and Global Connections Discuss Lifeline Reform With FCC The Link Up for America Coalition and Global Connections met separately with Wireline Competition Bureau staff and Commissioner Clyburn on January 23, 2012, to state efforts to expand telephone subscription rates must focus on low-income communities. The Coalition also said more than 90 percent of Coalition member enrollment takes place in person, and in-person enrollment will be key to successful low-income broadband initiatives. The Coalition also reiterated its support for national database solutions to prevent duplicate enrollment and verify eligibility. (Source: Washington Watch, 1/27/2012) National Broadband Plan advocacy efforts
U.S. Senators Send Joint Letter to FCC Chairman Genachowski on Call Completion Twenty-five members of the U.S. Senate sent a joint letter Jan. 18 to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski to reiterate the problem of voice calls failing to complete on rural networks and urge that the Commission identify the cause of these call terminations. The signatories include Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Sen. Daniel Coats (R-Ind.), Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. John Tester (D-Mont.), Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho). (Source: OPASTCO 411, 1/24/2012)
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FCC Issues Tentative Agenda for February Open Meeting The FCC issued a tentative
Agenda for its February 15, 2012, Open Meeting. The FCC will consider
an Order protecting consumers from unwanted autodialed or prerecorded
calls (robocalls), an NPRM and Order proposing to revise the licensing
model for Cellular Service from a site-based to a geographically-based
approach, and an Order to extend outage reporting to interconnected VoIP
service providers, to fulfill statutory E 911 obligations.
(Source: OPASTCO 411, 1/26/2012)
Chairman Genachowski Responds to Rep. Benishek Concerns Over Per Line Cap Chairman Genachowski
responded to Rep. Dan Benishek’s (R-Mich.), October 2011
letter which expressed concern with the FCC’s proposed $3,000 per line cap
and asked for a more detailed explanation of the waiver process for companies
affected by the cap. The Chairman said a $250 cap was adopted in the November
18, 2011 USF and ICC Reform
Order, and explained how the waiver process works. What's New at BroadbandUSA.gov USDA Report Highlights Recovery Act Broadband Project The USDA released its 2011 Rural Development Progress Report, outlining investments to bring broadband to rural areas. The report highlighted a $101 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act award to Rural Telephone of Hayes, Kansas, which will be used to provide access for university classes and tie hospitals to rural clinics, as well as provide free service to rural libraries for people who cannot afford broadband service. (Source: Washington Watch, 1/19/2012)
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Feb. 21-23, 2012 - CalCom
Tech Expo,
Radisson Hotel, Sacramento, CA
Mar. 6-7, 2012 - Independent
Telephone Association 2012
Showcase,
Portland, OR
Apr. 15-18, 2012 - Western
Telecommunications Alliance 2012
Spring Meeting,
Palm Springs, CA
July 14-18, 2012 - OPASTCO 49th
Annual
Summer Convention and Tradeshow,
Minneapolis, Minn. Seminar Series for 2012
January 2012 December 2011 November 2011
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