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

          Systems Availability Update

The FCC announced that its IT upgrades are nearly complete and that its Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) and  the Electronic Document Management System (EDOCS) are now available.  However, other major systems will not be available until 8 a.m. on Thursday, September 10, 2015.  This includes the FCC’s Fee Filer System (used to pay Regulatory Fees, which are due by 11:59 PM, EDT September 24, 2015), its Electronic Tariff Filing System (ETFS), the International Bureau Filing System (IBFS/MyIBFS), the Section 43.62 Online Filing System, the Commission Registration System (CORES), the 911 Reliability Certification System, and the National Broadband Map.  Other systems not available until September 10 include the Universal Licensing System (ULS), the Equipment Authorization System (EAS), the Experimental Licensing System (ELS), the Consolidated Database System (CDBS), the Licensing and Management System (LMS), the Tower Construction Notification System (TCNS), the Antenna Structure Registration System (ASR), and the Electronic Section-106 System (E-106).  The FCC anticipates that its web site will have returned to normal operations, with full content and search capabilities available by September 10, 2015.  FCC voicemail and e-mail should also be fully available by that time as well.

 

          Filing Deadlines

Due to the inaccessibility of its systems, the FCC is further extending (See the Regulatory Mix dated 8/24/15) the filing deadlines for all regulatory and enforcement deadlines that fall on September 2, 2015 through September 10, 2015, with the exception of filings that may be made through ECFS and NORS and those with statutory filing deadlines.  With those exceptions, filings that would otherwise be due from September 2 through September 10, 2015, will now be due on Friday, September 11, 2015.  Except as specified in the Public Notice, the FCC is not automatically extending the deadlines for any other comment or filing periods that will be running during this time period.  However, requests for extension of time will be considered consistent with the FCC’s normal practice.  The Public Notice includes information specifically on deadlines for filing responsive pleadings and Special Temporary Authorities, and how statutory filing deadlines will be handled.

 

California

The PUC will hold public meetings in Southern California to inform the public that the 213 area code will be added to the region that is now served by the 323 area code in order to ensure the availability of numbers.  The 323 area code serves largely the City of Los Angeles, as well as neighboring cities and unincorporated portions of Los Angeles County. The 213 area code serves the downtown portion of Los Angeles.  The meeting schedule includes:

9/8/15; 10 a.m., South Gate City Council Chambers, South Gate, 90280

9/8/15; 2 p.m., Junipero Serra State Building, Los Angeles, 90013

9/9/15; 10 a.m., Junipero Serra State Building, Los Angeles, 90013

9/9/15; 2 p.m., South Pasadena City Council Chambers, South Pasadena, 91030

9/9/15; 7 p.m., South Pasadena Public Library, South Pasadena, 91030

9/10/15; 2 p.m., Memorial Branch Library, Los Angeles, 90019

 

 

ENERGY

Pennsylvania

PUC approved the Smart Meter Technology Procurement and Installation Plan submitted by PPL Electric Utilities Corporation (PPL).  The Smart Meter Plan (SMP) replaces PPL’s original plan as filed in August 2009.  The updated SMP complies with Act 129 of 2008 which requires electric distribution companies with more than 100,000 customers to furnish smart meter technology both upon request and in new building construction.  The Act also directed that smart meter technology must provide customers with direct access to – and use of – price and consumption information, such as hourly consumption; the ability to support time-of-use rates and real-time price programs; and automatic control of electric consumption by the customer.

 

FCC 911 Reliability Certifiction Assistance

 

VoIP (Digital Phone) Requirements

 

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