TMI's Regulatory Mix 2014

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

 

FCC

The FCC is seeking comments on a Petition for Declaratory Ruling filed by The Midwest Independent Coin Payphone Association (MICPA). The MICPA filed a Petition for Declaratory Ruling with the FCC on December 26, 2013. The Association requests: (1) that the Commission issue an order “directing AT&T Missouri to submit to the Commission cost documentation supporting its currently effective tariffs for intrastate payphone service offerings (“Missouri Payphone Tariffs”) along with copies of the tariffs,” (2) “ a determination and/or declaratory ruling that the Missouri Payphone Tariffs are not cost based, nondiscriminatory, and consistent with both section 276 and the Commissions’ Computer III tariffing guidelines” and (3) an order directing “AT&T Missouri to issue refunds of over charges for its payphone service offerings.” Comments are due February 6, 2014 and reply comments are due February 21, 2014. See FCC Public Notice here.

 

 

California

Proposed California Assembly Bill (AB 876) is recommending several changes to the California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) requiring the PUC ensure that the program does not give preferentiality to any one type of technology to provide advanced telecom services to qualifying providers. The bill requires that the PUC allow qualifying providers to access the database and to make “average” price information available to the public from that database. See latest Bill Text here.

 

 

New York

The PSC announced that the Commission is considering issuing an order to show cause, requiring carriers to demonstrate why originating access charges should not be reduced to mirror the terminating access charges that have already been implemented due to access reform. If issued, this order would determine a comment process and lead to a final decision in June 2014. If the initial comments that are filed establish a need for evidentiary hearings, staff will proceed accordingly. 

 

 

Telecom Regulatory Fees and Assessments

 

CLEC Switched Access Rate Cap Summary

 

Switched Access Study

 

Regulatory Bulletin Anchor Text