LAS VEGAS -- Ore. PUC Comr. Ray Baum -- chairing a NARUC-sponsored group offering the latest proposal for intercarrier compensation reform -- said he hopes to present a final version to the FCC by May 15. But he conceded that wireless and cable companies are generally unlikely to support that plan, and many members of NARUC and NASUCA have questions. Baum has asked industry to finish its review of the plan and report back by April 21.
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
LAS VEGAS -- Verizon Wireless is unlikely to pursue spectrum in June’s advanced wireless services (AWS) auction and 700 MHz spectrum when it becomes available, CEO Denny Strigl said. Verizon Wireless will decide over the next few weeks which spectrum to pursue, he said during a meeting with reporters at the CTIA convention here.
LAS VEGAS -- The FCC means to make sure wireless broadband services “are subject to the same kind of lighter regulatory touch” already provided “cable services and DSL services,” Chmn. Martin said in a keynote at CTIA’s convention, which opened here Wed. Along with making progress on wireless E-911 and public safety and the upcoming auctions topped his wireless agenda, he said.
The National Public Safety Telecom Council (NPSTC) warned the FCC in a letter to Chmn. Martin that unless progress is made to negotiate international agreements on 800 MHz in border areas, particularly with Mexico, 800 MHz rebanding is in trouble in some heavily populated areas of the nation. NPSTC represents key public safety groups and its comments are generally given weight at the FCC.
Chmn. Martin is considering lowering significantly the financial threshold for disqualifying carriers from participating in the June Advanced Wireless Services auctions with designated entities, sources said Tues. They said Martin is floating revised restrictions disqualifying from joining with a DE to buy a license carriers with as little as $125 million revenue, vs. the $5 billion threshold that had been expected. A source said the revised threshold would be a major win for the national carriers and a loss for smaller carriers.
Cingular, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Leap Wireless, Edge Wireless, MetroPCS, along with the Rural Telecom Group, made a last-ditch compromise proposal to persuade the FCC not to order blind bidding in the June advanced wireless services (AWS) auction. Members of the group had meetings scheduled this week at the FCC. The item is expected on the Commission’s sunshine notice Wed. for the April 12 agenda meeting, which would cut off lobbying.
Boeing apparently will sit out the air-to-ground (ATG) auction, based on short-form applications filed at the FCC. Otherwise, interest in the auction appears strong, with 12 firms, including incumbent and favored competitor Verizon Airfone, filing. AirCell, Airfone’s likeliest challenger, is in the running. The auction, of spectrum to be used for inflight broadband on commercial airliners, begins May 10.
The Senate Commerce Committee on Thurs. voted out legislation criminalizing “pretexting” used to obtain phone records, and selling the records on the Internet or otherwise. But the committee added a wireless directory amendment that Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) warned could doom the bill. The committee also approved an amendment sponsored by Democrats that would let victims sue over pretexting in federal court. Sen. Allen (R-Va.), a sponsor of the legislation, said it will likely be melded with similar legislation that has cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The FCC is expected to hand down this week an order prohibiting ties between designated entities (DEs) and carriers. But questions remain about the breadth of the restrictions the FCC. The central question is whether the FCC will agreed to stick with language in a Feb. further notice of proposed rulemaking restricting relationships between DEs and “entities with significant interests in communications services” rather than just DEs and the major wireless carriers (CD Feb 6 p2).
“Knee-jerk” FCC regulation is the greatest threat to continued broadband rollout, Acting NTIA Dir. John Kneuer said Tues. Answering questions at a Catholic U. telecom symposium, Kneuer took particular issue with comments by Comr. Copps in regard to an Oct. 2004 Commission order for broadband over powerline rules. Copps was the lone member to dissent in part and concur in part to the order.