GENEVA -- Several telecom regulators at the ITU Telecom World 2003 show here outlined plans for using Wi-Fi or voice- over-IP (VoIP) to provide voice and data in developing markets where phone connectivity lags. But several pointed to remaining challenges for VoIP in developing markets, particularly a lack of standards with how that technology interfaced with some switches, including older Signaling System-7 (SS-7). Afghanistan’s Minister of Communications Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai said that while VoIP was very cost effective, in some cases that equipment had signaling or integration conflict with switches that hadn’t been upgraded.

Attendance at the USTA convention in Las Vegas topped 2,600 this year, vs. about 1,000 last year in Boca Raton, show organizers said. Exhibit space doubled. They attributed the increase to the Las Vegas site, as well as to increased marketing and affiliations with related conferences. Organizers were predicting a doubling of both attendance and exhibit space again next year, the 2nd of at least 3 consecutive years for the convention to be in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS -- The telecom industry should begin to lay the groundwork for major telecom legislation, possibly in 2005, several speakers and industry officials said at the USTA convention here Mon. USTA Pres. Walter McCormick didn’t commit to legislation, just to change: “We are talking about an objective” of letting the market, not govt., regulate the industry, he said in response to a question about legislation: “That can be achieved in a variety of ways. Legislation is just one.”

The Kan. Corporation Commission approved a negotiated agreement between SBC and CLEC Sage Telecom on the level of support Sage would receive from the state universal service fund for customers in high-cost areas served via UNEs. The issue had threatened to delay Sage’s designation as an eligible telecom carrier (ETC) entitled to receive universal service subsidies. Sage had wanted to receive the same per- line support SBC did, but SBC objected. Under the approved agreement, Sage will get state USF support equal to the lesser of the UNE price it pays and the per-line subsidy SBC receives.

GENEVA -- In the opening days of the ITU Telecom World 2003 here, top telecom company executives and regulators urged the industry to pin its recovery hopes on markets in developing countries. ITU Secy.-Gen. Yoshio Utsumi acknowledged the smaller scale of this year’s ITU Telecom World, saying the sector’s recovery was likely to come from lower-income countries. “Although the commoditization of telecommunications has hurt the industry, it has also taken us closer to the utopian idea of universal access,” Utsumi told reporters.

LAS VEGAS -- FCC Comr. Martin is “troubled” by the concept of substituting wireless for wireline in universal service situations, he said at the USTA convention here Tues., citing particular concerns about wireless’ ability to provide adequate E911 and separate powering. NTIA ex-Dir. Nancy Victory, meanwhile, said the Universal Service Fund (USF) needed an “extreme makeover.”

The FCC at its agenda meeting Oct. 16 will consider universal service action in response to a remand by the 10th U.S. Appeals Court, Denver. The court had remanded the FCC’s 9th universal service order, which had set the mechanism for determining how much federal universal service support would go to larger ILECs. The court ruled in Qwest v. FCC that the order didn’t adequately define and apply the Telecom Act’s requirements that rates in rural areas be “reasonably comparable” with urban areas and that support should be “sufficient.” It also faulted the FCC for not properly explaining its reasoning for setting funding benchmark at 135% of the national average. The agency also will consider: (1) Allocation, band plan and service rules in the 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz and 92-95 GHz bands. (2) Licensing, technical and competitive bidding rules for spectrum at 1710-1755 MHz and 2110-2155 MHz allocated for advanced wireless services. (3) Applications submitted by commercial TV stations seeking extensions of the May 1, 2002 deadline for construction of digital TV facilities. (4) An order on DBS auction issues. It said in June it still was looking at whether DBS spectrum was subject to the ORBIT Act’s auction prohibition and whether eligibility restrictions should be adopted for the licenses (CD June 13 p11).

Some Western state political entities are trying to drum up support for legislation they say would more fairly distribute a portion of the Universal Service Fund (USF). But neutral observers said the USF fight was turning into one of regions -- mainly Qwest states vs. the BellSouth region -- with few others anxious to join the fight. One industry source described it as a USF “civil war” between Qwest and BellSouth.

With questions about Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP swirling in the industry, FCC Comr. Abernathy told the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference in N.Y.C. Wed. that the time was now for the Commission to look at the technology and see where it fit into the regulatory scheme. Several companies, including some phone and cable providers, would like to know whether VoIP will be part of the Universal Service Fund, for example, before pushing forward with long- term business models.

The W.Va. PSC concluded its investigation into how telecom carriers are using universal service funds by finding those dollars are being used as intended. The PSC in Aug. opened the probe (Case 03-0781-T-GI) at the behest of its Consumer Advocate Div. The funds are supposed to be used only for provision, maintenance and upgrading of telecom facilities used to provide the universal service entitlement to consumers, but there have been instances in other states where funds were used for other purposes. All carriers were required to file verified accountings of where their universal service subsidies were spent.