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
US House of Representatives
On July 25, 2013, the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology advanced two legislative proposals to improve transparency, efficiency, and accountability at the FCC: the FCC Process Reform Act and the FCC Consolidated Reporting Act. See our Blog posting 6/23/13 for more information. The measures were adopted by voice-vote. Prior to the markup, there was an agreement to advance the FCC Process Reform Act out of subcommittee and continue working to find a bipartisan legislative solution before the bill is marked up at full committee. Read the full press release here.
Texas
The Public Utility Commission opened a proceeding to determine the weighted statewide average composite usage sensitive switched access rates for 2014. The PUC is required to do this biennially, based on the data submitted by ILECs. PUC rules cap CLEC access charges at either the statewide average composite rate or the rate of the ILEC in whose territory the call originated or terminated. In an order issued July 24, 2013, the PUC directed the ILECs to provide their intrastate rate and minutes of use data needed to calculate the composite rates by September 15, 2013. As required by PUC rules, the PUC will “endeavor” to complete its recalculation of the new composite rates by November 15. Once the rates are announced, CLEC compliance tariffs/price lists must be filed with the PUC. Watch for a TMI Bulletin when the final rates are announced.