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.

 

TELECOM

FCC

The Wireline Competition and Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureaus will hold a public workshop on April 28, 2015, at FCC headquarters. The purpose of the workshop is to explore the FCC’s role in protecting the privacy of consumers that use broadband Internet access service.

The recent Open Internet Order TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletins dated 3/20/15. took certain steps to apply core statutory protections to broadband Internet access service, including § 222 of the Communications Act. Among other protections, section 222 imposes a duty on every telecommunications carrier to protect the confidentiality of its customers’ information and imposes restrictions on carriers’ ability to use, disclose, or permit access to customers’ individually identifiable customer proprietary network information (CPNI) without their approval. In the Order the FCC forbore from applying the rules that it had previously adopted governing telephone carriers’ handling of CPNI. The workshop will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to explore a range of matters associated with the application of statutory privacy protections to broadband Internet access service.

 

Illinois

The Illinois Commerce Commission amended the approval process for negotiated telecommunications agreements. The amendments streamline the process by which the Commission formally approves routine, uncontested Negotiated Agreements governing rates and terms of interconnection between telecommunications carriers. In addition, the Commission approved new provisions for expedited approval of negotiated agreements. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletin dated 3/27/15.

 

Canada

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has issued an Information Bulletin (2015-110), a Regulatory Policy (CRTC 2015-109) and information about the Voter Contact Registry. These will provide guidance for entities who call voters, or that engage others to do so, during a federal election, including guidance on who must register with the Voter Contact Registry and on what will be the required pieces of identification. The CRTC also set out the factors that it will consider when setting the penalty amounts for violations relating to the Registry.

 

ENERGY

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania PUC adopted and released for public comment a Tentative Implementation Order to begin the process of potentially establishing a Phase III for the Act 129 Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C) Program. The Tentative Order proposes required consumption and peak demand reductions for each electric distribution company subject to Act 129, as well as guidelines for implementing Phase III of the EE&C Program. The PUC has scheduled an Act 129 stakeholder meeting on April 8, 2015. The purpose of the meeting is to provide stakeholders with the opportunity for a question and answer session with the Statewide Evaluator related to the baseline and market potential studies. Interested parties are invited to file comments and reply comments (by April 27 and May 12, 2015 respectively) on the Tentative Order as well as the baseline and market potential studies.

 

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NEW TMI Telecom Regulatory  Seminar & Workshop! We have dates for a 2nd Workshop this spring!  Dates for Spring 2 are May 18 & 19, 2015!

 

Contact Us About Access Reduction Filings

 

Rural Call Completion Reporting

 

TMI Bulletin Series: FCC New Open Internet/Net Neutrality Rules