The Regulatory Mix

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

Form 499

The FCC announced it was seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to revise its Forms 499-A and 499-Q to require online electronic filing for both forms and to eliminate the third-party disclosure requirement. Currently, the forms may be filed either electronically or on paper. Comments may be submitted until August 29, 2014.

 

Inmate Calling Services

The FCC announced the preliminary agenda for its July 9 workshop to examine and analyze policy issues related to Inmate Calling Services (ICS). The workshop will begin with remarks by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and then break into four panel discussions as follows.

(1) Impact of FCC Reform and Potential Need for Additional Reform – This panel will address the impact of reforms since the 2013 ICS Report and Order and FNPRM, the benefits to consumers, and the potential need for additional FCC and/or state reforms.

(2) Understanding the Provision of ICS in Different Facilities – This panel will focus on understanding the primary cost drivers of providing ICS in different types of correctional facilities.

(3) Ancillary Charges – This panel will discuss ancillary charges, the types, rates, whether new charges have occurred since the 2013 Order, and potential reforms to limit these charges.

(4) New Technologies – This panel will consider new and emerging forms of communications in correctional settings beyond the traditional wireline telephone call.

 

The FCC said that additional details concerning the workshop agenda and panelists will be forthcoming. The workshop can be webcast at www.fcc.gov/live.

 

 

Minnesota

The Minnesota PUC extended the date for filing comments on proposed amendments to its rules governing the publication and distribution of white pages directories. See the Regulatory Mix dated 6/17/14. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Minnesota Bulletin dated 6/16/14. Comments are now due July 31, 2014 and reply comments are due August 11, 2014. The due dates had been July 1 and July 11.

 

Regulatory Briefing

 

Institutional Rates Summary