The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court, issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Regulatory Bulletin.
TELECOM
Alabama
The Public Service Commission is asking for comment on Staff’s proposed changes to its rules for inmate calling service (ICS). The changes include: (1) elimination of the existing operator surcharges and establishment of a single per-minute rate; (2) establishment of maximum rates for certain ancillary services; (3) prohibition on charging for certain ancillary services; (4) ICS-specific billing requirements; (5) annual reporting requirements; and (6) website requirements. Comments are due November 8, 2013. Watch for a TMI Bulletin.
New Hampshire
The Public Utilities Commission has issued its Draft Final Proposal and procedural schedule of the Puc 400 Rules for Telephone Service. They have been revised from the PUC’s initial proposal of April 2013. (See TMI Bulletin dated May 20, 2013.) The revisions are primarily intended to address changes in law enacted by SB 48. (See TMI Bulletin dated June 20, 2012.) The procedural schedule for review of the draft final proposal includes two technical sessions (October 18 and November 18, 2013). Written comments are due by November 7, 2013, and the PUC expects to vote on the proposal at its December 3, 2013, meeting. As proposed the rules will “not apply to VoIP and IP enabled services pursuant to RSA 362:7, II.” They will “apply to all telephone utilities except to the extent preempted by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.”
Please Note we have published the following Bulletins regarding VoIP Regulation in New Hampshire:
08/08/13 New Hampshire Law Clarifies Regulation Of VoIP
07/15/13 New Hampshire Suspends VoIP Decision
06/04/13 New Hampshire Upholds Previous VoIP Decision
07/02/12 New Hampshire To Require VoIP Providers To Collect 911 Fees
See Inmate Calling Services rates in our summary.
Download a sample Regulatory Bulletin below.
