Today's Regulatory Mix: FCC Cable Industry Pricing Report, FCC Commissioner Statement on Stay at Home Orders, FCC COVID-19 TCPA Declaratory Ruling
FCC Cable Industry Pricing Report
The FCC has directed certain cable operators to respond to a price survey questionnaire designed to solicit information concerning rates for basic service, cable programming service, and equipment used to receive such services. The information will be used for its statutorily required report on cable industry prices.
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Topics:
TCPA,
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks,
COVID-19,
Cable Industry Pricing Report
FCC’s Starks on Network Security
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks released a Report on the results of an FCC workshop held in June 2019 regarding the security threats that stem from the presence of certain Chinese communications equipment in US networks. The workshop contained three panels: Find It, Fix It, and Fund it. According to Starks, a “major takeaway from the workshop is that our networks must only contain equipment from trusted sources. When evaluating the security of a piece of communications networking equipment we should not ask “do I trust this piece of equipment” but instead, “do I trust the manufacturer?”
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Topics:
NARUC,
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks,
Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force,
Network Security,
NARUC Broadband Agenda,
Chinese-manufactured communications equipment,
FTC Agenda for Workshop on COPPA Rule
The FTC has released the agenda for a workshop it is holding on October 7, 2019. The workshop will examine the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Rule in light of evolving business practices and new technology in the online marketplace.
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Topics:
Net Neutrality,
FTC Workshop,
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks,
FCC Restoring Internet Freedom Order,
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr,
FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly,
COPPA Rule,
Children's Online Protection Act
Alabama Awards $1.14 Million in Broadband Grants
Governor Kay Ivey on Monday announced she has awarded more than $1.14 million in grants to provide access to high-speed internet in several Alabama communities. The six grants are the second round of awards presented by Gov. Ivey under the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund. In the latest round, some providers were awarded more than one grant to provide service in different areas.
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Topics:
rural broadband,
high-speed internet,
Alabama Broadband Grants,
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks,
Default Robocall Blocking Services Inquiry
US Senate Moving FIRST Act
U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) announced introduced the Moving and Fostering Innovation to Revolutionize Smarter Transportation (Moving FIRST) Act. The Act creates a competitive grant program for large and medium-sized cities as well as rural communities to seek federal grants for the creation of efficient, creative and innovative transportation projects. A companion bill is being introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.).
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Topics:
Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau,
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks,
FIRST Act,
FCC Workshops,
SMART Challenge,
USDOT
Mississippi Charges Five Telemarketers for No-Call Violations
The Mississippi PSC announced that it has charged five companies that made 442 illegal calls. Should these entities be found to have violated the No-Call law, they are subject to a $5,000 per call fine; totaling $2,210,000. Notices of alleged violations were recently filed against the companies.
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Topics:
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks,
Nevada Cybersecurity Law,
Robocall Blocking,
Mississippi No-Call Violations
US House Passes Save the Internet Act
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement after H.R. 1644, the Save the Internet Act, passed on the floor of the House of Representatives by a vote of 232-190:
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Topics:
Net Neutrality,
INCOMPAS,
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai,
U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee,
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks,
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr,
FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly,
Save the Internet Act,
Enforcement Advisory on Video TV Set-Top Boxes
House Hearings on Net Neutrality
Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) announced that the Communications and Technology Subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing on restoring net neutrality protections on Tuesday, March 12, at 10:00 am in room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
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Topics:
Net Neutrality,
USF,
USAC,
US House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearings,
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai,
FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel,
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks,
Save the Iternet Act,
House Communications and Technology Subcommittee,
FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly,
Use of E-Rate Funds,
Legislating to Safeguard the Free & Open Internet
FCC Starks on Open Internet aka Restoring Internet Freedom Oral Argument
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks offered the following statement after the February 1, 2019, oral argument in Mozilla v. FCC, the appeal of the FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order. “Today in federal court, this FCC is attempting to explain why it ignored the evidence before it and hastily abandoned the carefully crafted, common sense Open Internet framework established in 2015. In the process, it ignored the will of millions of people who made their support for a free and open Internet crystal clear. Like many others, I am paying close attention.
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Topics:
Net Neutrality,
US Senator Ed Markey,
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks,
FCC Restoring Internet Freedom Order,
Video Description Marketplace
Senators Question FCC About Small Cell Appeals
US Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have called on the FCC to address reports it pressured wireless service providers to file frivolous lawsuits in several federal courts in an attempt to move a Ninth Circuit lawsuit challenging the legality of a recent 5G wireless deployment rule. “Even though additional cases filed by wireless carriers in separate jurisdictions were eventually transferred back to the Ninth Circuit, the reason for their filing in the first place remains a concern,” the senators wrote.
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Topics:
Small Cell Appeals,
US Senate 5G Hearing,
Mississippi Electric Coops can offer broadband,
5G wireless deployment rule,
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks
