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.

FCC

ICS Mandatory Data Collection

The FCC announced  the due date for the one-time, mandatory data collection adopted as part of its Inmate Calling Service Rates Order. See our Blog FCC Caps Interstate Inmate Calling Services Rates dated 8/9/13. The data must be filed by July 17, 2014. ICS providers must use an FCC-provided Excel template in the format dictated in the spreadsheet. The FCC also released detailed instructions on how the template should be populated. Data and supporting documents may be filed under a Protective Order and treated as confidential. The FCC released a Protective Order for this purpose. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletin dated July 16, 2014

 

CVAA Report

The FCC has asked for public comment to assist it in preparing the biennial report to Congress required by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA). The comments will help the FCC make tentative conclusions concerning: the level of industry compliance with the requirement that telecommunications and advanced communications services and equipment be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities; the effect of the Act’s recordkeeping and enforcement requirements; and the extent to which accessibility barriers still exist with respect to new communications technologies. Before the FCC submits its report to Congress, it will seek another round of comments on its tentative findings.

 

Texas

The PUC is seeking comment on rule changes that will implement the statutory requirement that it reduce the Texas Universal Service Fund (TUSF) support available to certain ILECs over a three-year period. The new rules would reduce support 25% per year. As required by law, the new rules would also establish a procedure for an affected ILEC to petition the PUC to show financial need for continued TUSF support. Under the proposed rules, an ILEC Eligible Telecommunications Provider would have a financial need for continued support within an exchange only if the exchange did not contain an unsubsidized wireline voice provider competitor. The PUC also asks for comment on whether, in determining financial need for continued TUSF support, it: (1) should consider both ILEC expenses and revenues; and (2) can consider revenue received in a contested case. Comments are due July 20, 2014 and reply comments are due August 4, 2014. 

 

Regulatory Briefing

 

Institutional Rates Summary

 

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