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
Ohio
In a Press Release issued today, the PUC reminds consumers that beginning March 21, 2015, all local calls made within the Ohio 740 area code must be placed using the 10 or 11 digit telephone number (area code plus the seven-digit telephone number or 1 + area code + seven-digit telephone number). The new 220 area code will be added to the 740 area code region which generally covers the southeastern portion of the state of Ohio serving communities such as Athens, Cambridge, Delaware, Jackson, Lancaster, Marion, Newark, Marietta, Portsmouth, and Zanesville. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletin dated 1/2/14.
Tennessee
The Tennessee Regulatory Authority approved the establishment of new statewide 2-1-1 guidelines. Tennessee 2-1-1 is a statewide community access phone number that residents can dial to get important information about an area’s community services. The services may include volunteer opportunities, protective services, legal services, and utility information.
FCC
Tribal Mobility Fund
The FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Wireline Competition Bureau authorized Tribal Mobility Fund Phase I support for the final 51 winning bids. The Notice also authorizes and directs Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to obligate and disburse from the Universal Service Fund (USF) the amounts identified in Attachment A to the winning bidder for each listed study area. The initial disbursement of Tribal Mobility Fund Phase I support is equal to one-third of the total winning bid amount. A winning bidder that has been authorized to receive Tribal Mobility Fund Phase I support will be subject to a performance default payment of 10% of the total level of support for which it is eligible if it fails to or is unable to meet its coverage requirement, other service requirements, or fails to fulfill any other term or condition of Tribal Mobility Fund Phase I support. All Auction 902 winning bids have now been authorized and the long-form applications will be made available to the public.
Merger Proceedings
The FCC announced it was pausing the informal 180-day clocks in the Comcast-Time Warner Cable-Charter and AT&T-DIRECTV transaction proceedings. The FCC decided to pause the 180-day clock so it would know the results of a court challenge to its decision to allow Video Programming Confidential Information (VPCI) to be reviewed under protective orders. The FCC said it would be “advantaged” by knowing the resolution of the court challenge before the transaction clocks reach the 180-day mark, which both are slated to do so by the end of March. The FCC reminds the public that the 180-day clock represents a good faith undertaking by it to complete action on assignment and transfer of control applications within a certain timeframe but carries with it no procedural or substantive rights or obligations. It is merely an informal benchmark by which to evaluate the FCC’s progress.
