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 Briefing.
TELECOM
FCC
Wi-Fi Forfeitures
The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau (EB) proposed fines totaling over $740,000 in connection with the blocking of Wi-Fi devices at hotels and convention centers. Watch for more details in our upcoming blog article.
Special Access
The FCC further extended the deadlines for interested parties to file comments and reply comments in response to Section IV.B of its 2012 FNPRM in the special access rulemaking proceeding. Section IV.B seeks comment on possible changes to the FCC’s rules for the special access services provided by ILECs in price cap areas. TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefings dated 12/21/12 and 9/21/15. Comments are now due by January 6, 2016; reply comments are due by February 5, 2016. The previous deadlines were November 20, 2015, and December 11, 2015, respectively. The FCC was asked to grant a 60-day extension due to the delay in obtaining remote access to the special access data collection confidential data. However, the FCC chose to grant only a more modest extension, saying: “The size and complexity of the data collection is significant, as are the issues the data and analysis will inform. A modest extension of time will give Joint Petitioners, the Joint Opponents, Sprint, and others participating in this proceeding time that may improve the quality of analysis of issues and data being considered.”
Indiana
The Commission announced the procedural schedule to be followed in its triennial review of the Indiana USF. See the Regulatory Mix dated 10/5/15. Initial testimony is due by November 17, 2015. Responsive testimony is due by December 10, 2015. An evidentiary hearing will be held on January 14, 2016.