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
IP Transition
The FCC is seeking comment on a proposal for an IP service trial submitted by CenturyLink. CenturyLink is proposing to conduct its trial in Las Vegas, Nevada roughly encompassing 12 wire centers. The trial will explore the impacts of the TDM-to-IP transition on: (1) business end users; and (2) providers exchanging VoIP traffic through commercially negotiated VoIP connectivity utilizing Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). CenturyLink will be joined in this trial by two CLECs. As a precondition to the trial, CenturyLink seeks a declaratory ruling that its participation in the trials will not in any way affect its preexisting regulatory obligations related to the exchange of voice traffic with other providers or create any new obligations. Comments are due by December 22, 2014. Reply comments are due by January 7, 2015. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletin dated 12/1/14.
ECFS
The FCC announced that its Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) has been expanded to accommodate the electronic submission of filings in certain types of non-docketed proceedings that previously could only be filed on paper. Once the new rules become effective in January 2015, online filing will be mandatory for the following types of filings: (1) formal complaints; (2) pole attachment complaints; (3) domestic §214 transfer-of-control applications; (4) domestic §214 discontinuance applications; and (5) network change notifications by ILECs. Until the rules become effective, online filing for these five types of proceedings is voluntary. In addition, ECFS is now accepting the following types of filings: (1) petitions for waiver, including petitions that require a fee; (2) petitions for declaratory ruling; (3) international high frequency applications; and (4) applications for permit to deliver programs to foreign stations. Electronic filing of these types of documents is (and will continue to be) voluntary. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletin dated 12/10/14
Massachusetts
The DTC released an Administrative Notice that effective immediately; all documents and filings intended for the Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications and Cable are to be addressed to:
Sara J. Clark Secretary
Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable
1000 Washington Street, Suite 820
Boston, MA 02118-6500
All electronic filings with the Department must be sent by email to DTC.EFILING@STATE.MA.US
Filings with the Department are deemed filed only upon receipt by the Secretary via the above.
Michigan
The PSC notified licensed CLECs offering intrastate switched toll access service that their final access rate reduction tariff pages should be filed on or before January 1, 2015, with an effective date of January 1, 2015. See the Regulatory Mix dated 12/3/14 and TMI Blog article dated 12/4/14. If intrastate switched toll access rates are already at parity with (or less than) corresponding interstate switched toll access rates, CLECs should notify Paul Negin by emailing him at neginp@michigan.gov.
Minnesota
The PUC is asking for comment on whether it should broaden the scope of reportable calls for purposes of its rural call completion reporting requirements. Specifically, the PUC asks if it should expand the reporting requirements to include: calls in rural areas served by CLECs; calls in rural areas served by CenturyLink; any call outside of area codes 612, 651, 763, and 952; or to include failed calls to all destinations. Comments are due January 9, 2015; reply comments are due January 30, 2015. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletin dated 12/4/14.