FCC Chairman Kevin Martin will resign from office, he told colleagues and the public Thursday at the end of the commission’s monthly meeting. His last day will be Tuesday, inauguration day. Like the previous three chairmen, he'll become a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute. Martin didn’t alert his fellow commissioners of his announcement before he made it, we've learned.

The House economic stimulus bill unveiled Thursday calls for $6 billion in spending on broadband loan and grant programs throughout the government. The draft legislation being handled by the House Appropriations Committee would provide $350 million in funding for the broadband mapping law enacted last year, which many industry officials think is an essential first step in ensuring new spending is directed to rural, underserved areas. The stimulus bill also would give NTIA another $650 million for the DTV converter box program.

The telecom sector is transforming to a voice, video, chat and screen-sharing business, said Skype CEO Josh Silverman during the State of the Net conference Wednesday. He emphasized the growth of Skype’s video conferencing business during a tough economy and a period of slowing consumer spending. The economic downturn hasn’t had much impact on Skype, he said. On President-elect Barack Obama’s stimulus package that includes proposals to expand broadband coverage, he said Skype believes the FCC could play a critical role in reforming the Universal Service Fund, to support broadband in rural and low-income areas. The fund should be used to offer everyone in the U.S. access to affordable, open and neutral broadband connections, he said. Rigorous performance measures should be enforced, he said. Meanwhile, Skype is interested in working with the mobile carriers to create open access to devices, services and networks, he said. Consumers should be able to use Skype over any broadband connection and on any broadband-enabled devices, he said. The VoIP provider sees device-to-device communication as a huge opportunity, but it will focus on communications by people for now, he said.

As economic woes and slow consumer spending continue, Sprint Nextel’s Boost Mobile division will offer a prepaid unlimited plan for $50 a month, the carrier said Thursday. Some analysts praised the action. But others worried that it will prompt competitors to cut their prices and hurt profits in U.S. wireless.

The telecom sector is transforming from voice and hardware business to a voice, video, chat, conference-calling and screen-sharing business, said Skype CEO Josh Silverman during the State of the Net Conference Wednesday. He emphasized the growth of Skype’s video conferencing business during a tough economy and a period of slowing consumer spending. The economic downturn hasn’t had much impact on Skype, he said. On President-elect Barack Obama’s stimulus package that includes proposals to expand broadband coverage, he said Skype believes the FCC could play a critical role in reforming the Universal Service Fund, to support broadband in rural and low-income areas. The fund should be used to offer everyone in the U.S. access to affordable, open and neutral broadband connections, he said. Rigorous performance measures should be enforced, he said. Meanwhile, Skype is interested in working with the mobile carriers to create open access to devices, services and networks, he said. The consumers should be able to use Skype over any broadband connection and on any broadband-enabled devices, he said. The VoIP provider sees device-to-device communication as a huge opportunity, but it will focus on communications by people for now, he said.

AT&T agreed to pay $10,080,600 in a consent decree to end FCC investigations into whether the company violated FCC rules on customer proprietary network information and recovery of universal service fund contributions from customers, the FCC said late Tuesday. AT&T also agreed to develop, within 60 calendar days, plans to ensure future compliance with FCC rules, the FCC said. The investigations related to complaints about AT&T’s CPNI opt-out mechanism, and a voluntary disclosure by AT&T that it had recovered federal USF contribution costs from end users in excess of permitted amounts. “While these were inadvertent errors, we regret that they occurred,” AT&T said in a statement. “To resolve these matters, we have entered into a consent decree, which includes implementing additional internal controls.”

A universal-service revamp and broadband are priorities for the House Commerce Communications Subcommittee, Chairman Rick Boucher of Virginia said in an interview. His official agenda awaits suggestions from Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., Boucher said. The committee plans an organizational meeting Wednesday afternoon. Boucher said he also wants to gather the views of subcommittee members before creating a hearing schedule and legislative wish list.

No objections have been registered to TracFone’s petition to the FCC to lift a requirement it obtain separate 911 certification from all public safety answering points in a state before it can offer Lifeline service there, the company told the commission. TracFone has asked instead that it be allowed to certify that it meets 911 requirements after 90 days of inaction by any PSAP (CD Dec 30 p3). The company is the nation’s largest provider of prepaid wireless service. TracFone said in reply comments that it has received certifications from Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida and provides service in the states. It expects to offer 911 soon in Massachusetts and Connecticut but has encountered problems in Pennsylvania, other states and the District of Columbia. The National Emergency Number Association didn’t object to TracFone’s request but said the FCC should require the company to show that has complied with state and local laws on 911, including funding rules. Association officials said they met with TracFone’s CEO and other company representatives and have encouraged 911 authorities to consider TracFone’s requests. “In the end, of course, we cannot and would not attempt to interfere with PSAP decisions on certification of 911 access as that is a local matter,” the group said. Consumer Action and the National Consumers League supported TracFone’s calls for the FCC to change the PSAP certification requirement. “Wireless telephone service has become an essential part of modern life,” the League said. “That is why we have consistently supported the use of Universal Service Fund monies to bring wireless telephone service to low-income consumers via the Lifeline program.” Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission asked the FCC for more time to comment.

Momentum to delay full-power broadcasters’ move to DTV picked up steam with support from President-elect Barack Obama. A Thursday letter from the co-head of his transition team to top lawmakers asked Congress to push back the Feb. 17 DTV switch, noting the NTIA’s digital converter box coupon program has run out of money. But the NTIA’s chief told us that Congress is coming up with legislation to let the agency send out more coupons. And FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, some legislators and industry groups said delay could cause consumer confusion.

Momentum to delay full-power broadcasters’ move to DTV picked up steam with support from President-elect Barack Obama. A Thursday letter from the co-head of his transition team to top lawmakers asked Congress to push back the Feb. 17 DTV switch, noting the NTIA’s digital converter box coupon program has run out of money. But the NTIA’s chief told us that Congress is coming up with legislation to let the agency send out more coupons. And FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, some legislators and industry groups said delay could cause consumer confusion.