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 Briefing.
TELECOM
FCC
Open Internet
The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau dismissed a petition asking it to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to require edge providers (like Google, Facebook, YouTube, Pandora, Netflix, and LinkedIn) to honor “Do Not Track” requests from consumers. The Order finds that the FCC has been “unequivocal in declaring that it has no intent to regulate edge providers.” It also notes that when it adopted the Open Internet rules, (See our 2/27/15 Blog, “FCC Adopts Net Neutrality Rules“; TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefings dated 3/20/15) the FCC specified that it was not “regulating the Internet, per se, or any Internet applications or content” and that its rules only applied to last-mile broadband providers.
IP Transition
The FCC is seeking comment on the information collection requirements associated with the customer disclosure requirements associated with its new backup power rules. See our 8/6/15 Blog “FCC Adopts Rules for the IP Transition” ; TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefings dated 8/12/15 and 10/16/15. Comments should be submitted by January 5, 2016. The FCC estimates that that there will be 570 respondents, that the estimated time per response will be 0-70 hours; and that the total annual burden of the collection will be 1,888 hours. Comments may address: (1) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the FCC, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the FCC’s burden estimate; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (5) ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
VoIP Numbering
The FCC is seeking comment on the information collection requirements associated with its new rules allowing VoIP providers to obtain direct access to numbers. See our 6/23/15 Blog “What-Do-VoIPs-Have-to-Prove-to-Get-Numbers-Around-Here” ; TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 6/25/15. Comments should be submitted by December 9, 2015. The FCC estimates that that there will be 13 respondents, that the estimated time per response will be 120 hours; and that the total annual burden of the collection will be 1,500 hours . Comments may address: (1) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the FCC, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the FCC’s burden estimate; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (5) ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
