Recent Snowstorms Shorten NANC Meeting February 18th, 2010

Even though it has stopped snowing in Washington, DC — for now, anyway –the impacts of last week’s storms are still being felt at the FCC. During the snow storms that dumped over 50 inches of snow in some parts of the Mid-Atlantic, the FCC was forced to reschedule its open meeting to February 18th. This conflicted with a previously scheduled North American Numbering Council (NANC) meeting at the FCC.  However, in the spirit of efficiency, the NANC meeting was conducted Thursday morning in less than 3 hours, so that the FCC’s Open Meeting could take place Thursday afternoon. Tom Soroka, USTelecom’s VP of Engineering & Technology attended Thursday’s NANC meeting.

A main area of focus at the NANC meeting centered around Local Number Portability and the implementation plan for single-day execution of porting a single telephone number. Although the NANC has approved of and recommended an implementation plan to the FCC, there is still some debate over the number of and the type of data fields required to complete a single day port. The FCC has placed this issue out for comment and is in the process of making decisions regarding standardized data fields required for single day porting of telephone numbers.

Another item of note from the NANC meeting is that no area codes in the U.S. will run out of telephone numbers in 2010. The area codes closest to exhaustion are 402 in Nebraska, and 570 in Pennsylvania, which are expected to run out of telephone numbers in 3Q – 2011. Overlay area codes are expected to be implemented in these states prior to actual number exhaustion.

The next NANC meeting will be held Thursday, May 20th, 2010 at the FCC.

NARUC Meetings Focus on Stimulus, DTV Transition February 18th, 2009

USTelecom attended the winter meetings of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) held in Washington, DC this week. Among the leading topics at the conference was administration of the economic stimulus bill just signed into law, particularly the $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus.  The broadband programs include, among other things grants and loans for broadband build-out to un-served and under-served areas, broadband mapping, funding for outreach and demand stimulation programs, and support for applications such as telemedicine and education.

Representatives of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the Department of Commerce and the Rural Utilities Services (RUS) of the Department of Agriculture, the federal agencies responsible for administering the broadband programs, spoke on panels at the conference.  The agencies indicated that they have a great deal of work to do in a short period of time to define terms, determine eligibility, set up an administrative structure, and distribute the funds.  NTIA and RUS officials encouraged participation in the process from the public and from state commissions. In addition, key House and Senate staffers cited oversight of the stimulus spending as a top priority for the year.

Verizon Executive Vice President, Tom Tauke, focused his keynote address on the stimulus package.  He urged states to be active in helping the federal agencies to determine how to quickly target the funds to un-served and under-served areas.  Mr. Tauke noted that, while the private sector invests nearly $70 billion per year in broadband networks, the cost of serving un-served areas is still too high and would likely require a 50% – 60% match.

The DTV transition deadline, extended to June 12, was also a popular topic, with federal regulators and congressional staff overseers indicating that the transition would also be a top priority this year.

The NARUC Telecom Committee endorsed several resolutions, including:

• Supporting states’ role in broadband mapping and encouraging states to consider public-private partnerships, if technologically neutral.
• Supporting establishment of a three-year pilot program extending federal low-income telephony support programs to broadband, and asking the FCC to allow the states a larger role in eligibility.
• Supporting FCC reform, including encouraging the FCC to use more fact-based inquiries and adjudications, to adopt a timetable for action, and to review of various processes for federal-state cooperation.

These resolutions will go to the NARUC Board for consideration before the Winter meetings conclude today.

George Mason’s IEP to Host Panel on Consensus FCC Reforms September 12th, 2008

Next Tuesday, September 16, the Information Economy Project at George Mason University will host an event at the National Press Club in Washignton entitled “Consensus FCC Reforms and the Communications Agenda for the Next Administration.” The first of two panels, made up of 5 former FCC officials whose service ranges from 1987 to 2005, will discuss ways the FCC can improve its procedures. The second, and perhaps more timely discussion, will take place in the second panel on a “cross-partisan agenda for communications policy reforms.” That panel will feature former FCC Chairmen Michael Powell and William Kennard.

Given the report yesterday in CongressDaily that Sen. Obama, if elected president, would likely create a national “technology czar” cabinet-level position, IEP’s event next week could feature some very spirited discussion about the future of the FCC and the role of the federal government in overseeing the communications industry.

FCC Releases September Meeting Agenda September 10th, 2008

The Commission has announced a tentative agenda for its next open meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 25, 2008. The agenda is pretty light on issues that are of immediate concern to USTelecom members, although there will tentatively be a discussion of the public safety airwaves auction. The auction is important to broadband providers because the proposed auction rules would, if adopted, require the auction winner to offer free broadband service. Obviously a mandated offering of “free” broadband service could mean serious trouble for the state of broadband competition. We’ll be sure to keep you posted about the outcome of the meeting regarding the auction.

Windstream’s Jeff Gardner to Keynote Executive Business Forum August 20th, 2008

We’re happy to announce that Windstream Communications President and CEO Jeff Gardner will be the keynote at this year’s Disruptive Technology, Demanding Consumers and Your Broadband Future – Executive Business Forum in San Jose. With more than $3 billion in annual revenues, 3.2 million access lines in 16 states and 7,500 employees, Gardner’s company is poised to shape change in the industry and capitalize on growth across the communications and entertainment landscape. He’ll be giving attendees at the Executive Business Forum his perspective on how to exceed customer expectations, how to deliver positive financial results to shareholders, and where the future of phone, broadband, and digital TV is going. For more information or to register, click here.

PFF Aspen Summit Concludes August 20th, 2008

This week, the Progress and Freedom Foundation hosted its annual Aspen Summit, a yearly gathering of technology experts, business leaders, and policymakers.  This year, the summit included panel discussions on intermediary liability, online copyright enforcement, online advertising, patent reform, and spectrum policy, among others.  Panelists included FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell; Ambassador David A. Gross, coordinator for international communications and information policy at the U.S. Department of State; Richard Lynch, CTO of Verizon; and representatives from Intel, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.

A number of bloggers and journalists covered the event; you can find coverage at TLF, BroadbandCensus.com, and the Rocky Mountain News.

Agenda Released for Open Meeting August 15th, 2008

The agenda for next Friday’s (August 22) open meeting at the FCC is out, and there are several items that have been circulated by Chairman Martin for consideration that may be of interest to USTelecom members: first is a memorandum opinion and order that addresses issues raised in petitions for reconsideration of the Roaming Report and Order; second is a NPRM on implementation on the New and Emerging Technologies (NET) 911 Improvement Act of 2008; and third is a NOI on improving USF management and administration. We will be sure to keep you posted on the outcomes of those issues.

FCC Rules on Complaints against Comcast August 5th, 2008

At the FCC’s August Open Meeting on Friday, the Commission made a much-anticipated ruling in its investigation of complaints against Comcast’s network management practices, especially with regard to peer-to-peer file sharing client BitTorrent.  On Friday, USTelecom President and CEO Walter B. McCormick, Jr. released the following the following statement:

“We believe that case-by-case enforcement is the right way for the Commission to proceed in evaluating claims that companies have not honored the FCC’s Internet policy principles. Given this Commission’s record of pro-competition, pro-investment broadband actions, we are confident that FCC action here will be carefully targeted. Carriers alone will invest nearly $60 billion in our broadband infrastructure this year, and coming years, providing consumers more options and faster speeds. Ensuring that this broadband investment and innovation continues is an essential mission of the Commission.  And, this action by the FCC demonstrates that legislation is not needed.”

NCSL Panel Sees Strong Competition in Broadband Service July 25th, 2008

I was recently on a panel at the annual meeting of the National Association of State Legislators to discuss the status of competition in the communications industry. The presentation was made to the Communications, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce Committee. Other panelists included representatives of the cable, wireless, and wireline telecom industries.

As these panels go, there was an extraordinary level of agreement among industry representatives:

• In general, panelists agreed that competition is intensifying within and across industries—including networks, devices, and applications—and that consumer choices are expanding.
• We largely agreed that government intervention should be minimal and targeted to encourage continued investment.
• There was also a strong case made for regulatory parity.

Below are some additional points from my remarks:

• We are early in a massive transition: the coming together of three historically distinct industries: telecommunications, media, and technology.
• These previously distinct industries are converging in an marketplace in which the nature of competition is dynamic, evolving, and innovative. Although these changes benefit consumers, the issues raised by convergence are complex.
• This is not a new story, but after many years of the industry buzzing about “convergence,” we seem to have attained a critical mass and the forces of change, wherever they lead, are, as they say, out of the bag.
• Nonetheless, one-size does not fit all in this evolving market. Consumers—both individuals and businesses—will move to integrated broadband and mobile services in different degrees and at different paces; some may make more limited transitions, and some may not make the transition at all, sticking to traditional ways.

So what does one make of this as a business and policy analyst?

• It is exactly the dynamic interaction—market conditions that are flexible and responsive—that drives new, increasingly personalized value for consumers.
• Continued investment in infrastructure and applications is needed to feed this virtuous cycle.
• The characteristics of competition, dynamism, flexibility, interaction, and complexity, along with the evolving and variegated demands of consumers, imply that a cautious and limited regulatory approach is appropriate.
• Specifically, policies should strive to keep competition fair, monitor developments, and intervene only when necessary to redress actual harm to consumers based on the facts of a specific situation.
• Such an approach is more likely to create an investment-friendly climate than an approach based on old models and assumptions that prescribes one-size-fits-all regulatory solutions.
• At a minimum, it would be suboptimal to entrench regulators in the day-to-day operations of this dynamic market, which requires near-constant economic, business, and technology decision-making in response to fast-changing competitive conditions.

Broadband Is the Future July 24th, 2008

On Monday, the FCC held a hearing on “Broadband and the Digital Future” at Carnegie Mellon University. Perhaps a more appropriate title for the FCC’s next hearing would be “Broadband is the Future.”

During these times of economic uncertainty, all American families are struggling to fill the gas tank, make the tuition payment and afford health care.

There is hope. This year alone, nearly 1,400 American broadband providers will invest an estimated $60 billion to expand the capacity and reach of the nation’s communications infrastructure. This investment far outweighs what the U.S. government spent to put Neil Armstrong on the moon. Even when combining what we spent to build out the interstate highway system, you still don’t achieve the level of investment we’re seeing in broadband networks today.

We’re just beginning to understand the “Broadband Economy” of the future. But here’s what we do know.

• Broadband-based remote monitoring for all chronically ill patients could reduce U.S. health care expenses by 25%—a $350 billion annual savings.
• Telecommuting takes cars off the road and could deliver $3.9 billion in time and fuel cost savings annually.
• Using electronics to telecommute saves the equivalent of 9 to 14 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year, the same amount of energy used by roughly 1 million U.S. households every year.
• Over 70% of low-income individuals reported an improvement in schoolwork when given access to broadband.
• Just a 7% increase in broadband adoption could create 2.4 million U.S. jobs.

America can and is doing more to make this future a reality. Here’s hoping our nation’s future broadband policies encourage this progress—and the substantive, diverse private investment that is making it possible.

[Cross posted at NextGenWeb.org]