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
FCC
The FCC announced plans to form a Disability Advisory Committee. The Committee will be created under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. It will provide a vehicle for consumers and other stakeholders to offer feedback and recommendations to the FCC on a wide array of disability issues within the FCC’s jurisdiction. Issues to be addressed by the Committee include telecommunications relay services, closed captioning, video description, access to emergency information on television and telephone emergency services, device accessibility, IP and other network transitions, and the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, as well as new disability and accessibility issues that arise. The FCC will accept nominations until January 12, 2015, and expects to hold the first meeting of the Committee during the first quarter of 2015.
Massachusetts
The State 911 Department has notified carriers that General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (GDIT) has been selected as the NG9-1-1 Service Provider. GDIT will deploy a NG9-1-1 emergency telecommunications system that will support the delivery of 9-1-1 voice calls to all of the Public Safety Answering Points throughout the Commonwealth. The transition will require the cooperation of all telecommunications services providers including wireline, wireless, and VoIP service providers. See TMI’s Blog article “Massachusetts NG9-1-1 Transition Notification” dated 12-3-14.
Michigan
The PSC issued the fourth annual report on the operation and administration of the Michigan Intrastate Switched Toll Access Restructuring Mechanism (ARM). The ARM is supported by monthly contributions from all providers of retail intrastate telecommunications services in Michigan, including mobile wireless voice providers. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletin dated 9/30/14 for further details on the ARM. Watch for TMI’s Blog article on this issue to be posted 12-4-14.
Reminder: The fifth reduction of toll access service rates in Michigan is due January 1, 2015.
