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 Congress
Representative Austin Scott (R-GA) has introduced HR 5376, the “Stop Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act of 2014.” The bill applies to both voice and data CMRS providers and would prohibit them from obtaining support from the Lifeline program. The bill was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
FCC
The FCC announced that the Office of Management and Budget had approved, with changes, its special access data request. The FCC said its data collection will be revised to reflect the terms of OMB’s approval and will become effective upon announcement in the Federal Register. Among other things, the changes made by OMB will: (1) require that data be reported for only one year (2013); (2) exclude entities that purchased less than $5 million in Dedicated Services in 2013 in price cap ILEC areas from the definition of purchaser; and (3) make several questions voluntary or require responses only if the required information is kept that way in the normal course of business. See our Blog “OMB Approves FCC’s Special Access Data Request,” dated 8/18/14.
