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
In a Public Notice, the FCC announced that the Section 43.62 online filing system can be accessed for electronic filings of Section 43.62 international circuit capacity reports from March 30, 2015, to April 30, 2015. The online filing system can be accessed using this link: Section 43.62 Online Filing System. As the online filing system is new this year (effective February 11, 2015), the FCC urges circuit capacity holders to file their reports as early as possible. For this year only, circuit capacity reports as of December 31, 2014, will be due by April 30, 2015. Letters notifying that circuits have been discontinued should be emailed to Circuit.Capacity@fcc.gov. Circuit capacity holders may be subject to fines and forfeitures for failure to file their reports.
FCC
The FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau is seeking comment on the FCC’s rule on opt-out notices on fax advertisements (64.1200(a)(4)(iv)). The rule requires that an opt-out notice containing certain information be included in fax ads sent to a consumer who has provided prior express invitation or permission. Nine petitions have been filed seeking retroactive waivers of this rule. Comments are due by April 10, 2015; reply comments are due April 17, 2015.
The Petitioners argue that good cause exists because they are similarly situated to parties who were granted retroactive waivers from this requirement by the FCC in the recent Anda Order. In that Order, the FCC granted retroactive waivers to several individual petitioners because of uncertainty about whether the opt-out notice applied to “solicited” faxes. The waivers granted in the Anda Order apply only to the individual petitioners listed in that order. However, the FCC noted that other, similarly situated parties may also seek waivers.
ENERGY
Maryland
The PSC issued a Notice of Hearing, Public Comment Period, and Modification to Procedural Schedule to consider two settlement agreements filed by Exelon Corporation, Pepco Holdings, Inc., Potomac Electric Power Company, and Delmarva Power & Light Company (collectively, “Joint Applicants”) in the merger proceeding (Exelon Corp and Pepco Holdings). By Notice dated March 23, 2015, the PSC extended the deadline for a decision until May 8, 2015.
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TMI’s Spring Telecom Regulatory Seminar & Workshop – April 30 & May 1, 2015, in Maitland, FL.
