An influx of freshmen in the 112th Congress forced the telecom industry to increase education efforts in 2011, industry lobbyists said in interviews. This year there are 13 freshman senators and 93 new House members. As a result, telecom lobbyists have had to spend more of their time teaching the nuts and bolts of major telecom issues like spectrum and Universal Service Fund reform, lobbyists said.

The FCC reinstated its video description rules in an order released Thursday. The commission unanimously adopted the rules, which were mandated by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Via Accessibility Act (CVAA) and set a July 1 deadline for compliance by broadcasters and pay-TV distributors. That date was something of a compromise as advocates for the blind had pushed for a March 1 deadline and industry groups wanted to push it back to October 2012 (CD Aug 19 p3). As expected, ESPN and Fox News are exempt from the rules (CD Aug 12 p12). A federal court tossed an earlier version of the FCC’s video description rules in 2002.

Small and mid-sized wireless carriers, cable operators and competitive local exchange carriers all criticized parts of the America’s Broadband Connectivity (ABC) plan for making major changes to the Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation regimes. The plan, a compromise among major telecom carriers and rural local exchange carriers, is unlikely to be approved without some changes, said industry and FCC officials. The trick for the FCC will be keeping ILECs on board while accommodating other interests (CD Aug 25 p1). The FCC also asked for comment on a “complementary” filing by rural carriers as well as proposals by the Federal-State Joint Board on USF, also discussed in many of the comments.

The adoption of the America’s Broadband Connectivity Plan (ABC Plan) for Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation revamp would “send us to the nearest federal court of appeals,” James Cawley, state chairman of the USF Federal/State Joint Board, told us. Most of the state commissions that filed with the FCC on the agreement oppose preemption of state role in determining USF eligibility. But Wisconsin regulators support some limited preemption of state authority and unified access charge rates.

The 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Virginia Tuesday, leading to a overload in wireless networks throughout the region, highlights an issue still to be addressed by the FCC -- the inability of wireless customers to make emergency 911 calls during the period they didn’t have service. Advocates of a national wireless public safety network were quick to cite the incident as further proof they need access to the 700 MHz D-block. But some observers said the inability get through to 911 services raises far more troubling questions. One former FCC official said the equation is simple, if people can’t connect to the network they can’t call 911.

For the second time in three years, the FCC could be on the cusp of making major changes to the Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation regimes. In late 2008, those efforts fell flat when then-Chairman Kevin Martin appeared to have support lined up for a reform order, but pulled an item prior to a vote. All signs this time around are that Chairman Julius Genachowski would like to succeed where the former commission fell short.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Bay Area Rapid Transit officials said any future wireless service cutoffs will be done under a coming policy that will be based on advice from the ACLU. At a special meeting Wednesday of the San Francisco Bay area rail system’s board, with what participants called the eyes of the world watching, President Bob Franklin said the body will vote on a policy at a meeting in two weeks or the subsequent one in four weeks, after a second round of public comments. Two of his board colleagues said they would appreciate recommendations from a recently created review committee for the agency’s police department. And board member Lynette Sweet said the policy should be run past the FCC and California’s Public Utilities Commission before taking effect. BART Police Chief Kenton Rainey said the PUC has asked him and his department’s independent auditor to attend a commission hearing in late September.

Wireless services were disrupted in much of the Washington area after a 5.9-magnitude Virginia-based earthquake rocked the East Coast early Tuesday afternoon. The FCC was investigating network problems. The agency remained functional, though employees were given the option of taking administrative leave for the reminder of the day, a spokesman said. Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were evacuated. The U.S. Geological Survey warned of possible aftershocks.

NCTA and the American Cable Association jointly raised concerns about a USTelecom-brokered compromise proposal on Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation reform, in a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski sent Tuesday. Cable operators, as key competitors to telecom carriers for voice and data, are expected to be key players as the commission looks at changing its rules for USF and intercarrier comp. Comments are due Wednesday at the FCC on the so called “consensus” agreement.

The FCC is making “great progress” complying with an executive order asking independent agencies to submit regulatory lookback plans to review old regulations, an OMB spokeswoman said Tuesday. The White House on Tuesday posted final regulatory lookback plans by 26 federal departments and agencies, and preliminary plans from four independent agencies other than the FCC. House Commerce Committee Republicans applauded the commission Tuesday for recently removing the Fairness Doctrine and 82 other rules from its books (CD Aug 23 p1) but said process reform legislation is still necessary.