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
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce approved H.R. 2844, the FCC Consolidated Reporting Act on July 31, 2013. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) was expected to introduce the Senate version on July 29, 2013. The legislation would combine eight annual reports into a single biennial Communications Marketplace Report. The new report would have to assess:
- the state of competition in the communications marketplace, including competition to deliver voice, video, audio, and data services among providers of wireline, wireless, cable, broadcast, satellite, Internet, and other communications services;
- the state of deployment of advanced communications capabilities, regardless of the technology used; and
- whether laws, regulations, or regulatory practices of federal and state agencies, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, or foreign governments pose a barrier to competitive entry into the communications marketplace or to the competitive expansion of existing providers of communications services.
The report would also have to describe the FCC’s agenda for the next two-year period for addressing the challenges and opportunities in the communications marketplace that were identified through the required assessments. Read the bill here
The House Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 1123, the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, on July 31, 2014. The legislation would restore the exemption that permits consumers to unlock their cell phones without the approval of their wireless provider. The bill would also allow third parties to assist consumers, when necessary, in unlocking their cell phones further ensuring that all consumers have the ability to unlock their cell phone. Read the bill here
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