FCC has “all the information it needs” to specify cost recovery mechanism for carriers’ number pooling costs, National Exchange Carrier Assn. told Commission in March 7 reply comments. NECA also urged FCC to let carriers recover those costs through “existing means” such as interstate access charges.
Elizabeth Lyle, ex-FCC, named vp-disability access and technology practice, Wallman Strategic Consulting… Robert Nichols, ex-Electronic Industry Assn., joins Treasury Dept. as deputy asst. secy. for public affairs… Robert Friedman, ex-New Line, named pres., AOL TV… Changes at Tribune Bcstg.: Patrick Mullen advanced to pres., Tribune TV, replacing Michael Eigner, who moves to pres., Tribune Cable; Peter Walker steps up to senior vp-Tribune TV; John Reardon promoted to west coast regional vp… William Weiss, Promar Group, joins International Telecommunications Clearing Corp. advisory board… Beth Hampton, ex-American Chemistry Council, named vp-membership mktg., CTAM… Steven Green, ex-U.S. ambassador to Singapore, appointed to Asia Global Crossing board… Natasha Cohen promoted to dir.-business development, Digital Media Group, Showtime Networks… Robert Long, vp-news, WRC-TV Washington, moves to vp-news and operations… Pamela Bertino advanced to vp-gen. mgr., Weatherscan Local, Weather Channel… Christopher Kelly promoted to gen. mgr., DiscoverOmaha.com, Cox Interactive Media… Arthur Sando, ex- Winstar, named senior vp-communications, CBS Enterprises.
Mike Copps, longtime aide to Sen. Hollings (D-S.C.), has “a lock” on appointment to one of 2 Democratic seats soon to open up on FCC, according to prominent Democrat. Giving credence to that position is statement to us by Senate Republican that Commerce Committee Chmn. McCain (R-Ariz.) has told Hollings (former Commerce Committee chmn. when Democrats controlled Senate) that he could fill Democratic seat. Copps left Hollings’ staff last year to become asst. secy. of Commerce for international trade (CD Feb 1 p1). Candidates for other Democratic seat include front-runner Andy Levin, aide to Rep. Dingell (D-Mich.), former chmn. of House Commerce Committee.
FCC Wireless Bureau plans to auction 14,000 licenses in lower paging bands of 35-36, 43-44, 152-159 and 454-460 MHz on June 26. Auction also covers 1,514 licenses in upper paging bands of 929- 931 MHz that remained unsold in auction that closed March 2. FCC is seeking comment on several proposals by March 19, with replies due March 26: (1) To award licenses in single, simultaneous multi-round auction. (2) To make upfront payments equal to minimum opening bids. FCC proposes that amount of upfront payment determine bidding units on which participant can place bids.
Conn. Dept. of Public Utility Control (DPUC) asked FCC to authorize trial of service-specific area code overlay for wireless carriers and any other providers not capable of local number portability. Petition didn’t specify whether overlay should go atop 203 (New Haven) or 860 (Hartford) code, both of which are projected to run out of numbers by end of 2002. DPUC said its request was based on Dec. FCC request for comments on using service- or technology-specific area codes as relief tool. If FCC grants permission for test, DPUC will determine which depleted code would get wireless overlay. If 203 were chosen, new code would be designated 475; if 860 is chosen, new code would be 959. DPUC said service-specific overlay would delay need for further code relief for “extended period” of time.
FCC Chmn. Powell sounded familiar theme in speech to USTA conference Wed., extolling marketplace over regulation, need to run Commission more efficiently and to add more technological knowhow. He joked with reporters in audience about how many times they had heard his themes. Powell told audience that “the market has to be at the pinnacle of government philosophy” but reminded that deregulated companies faced more risk because “the market can be a killer.” Marketplace can “strangle bad business models,” he said, “doing what regulators fear to do.” There’s need for “enlightened competition policy” that recognizes importance of innovation, he said. Asked whether he would work to reduce number of court remands, Powell said there had been times when agency had been “a little too aggressive” in pushing boundaries of law. It’s understandable, he said, because it’s challenging to fit new technology issues within confines of Communications Act. Solution is to be conservative, he said. “I can’t make up a rule” and doing so could damage FCC’s relationship with Congress, Powell said. “There are things I know are wrong but they are the law,” he told audience. “Many of you will get no’s from me not because I disagree but because I can’t find it [in law].” In answer to another question, he said he doubted new commissioners would be named within next 2 months but said it was hard to tell. It all depends on how deals are struck, he said. Asked whether merger of WorldCom and Bell company still would be “unthinkable,” as ex-FCC Chmn. Reed Hundt said in connection with AT&T-SBC, Powell said “nothing is unthinkable.” He quickly added that it would be “totally inappropriate” for him to say anything about any contemplated merger until request for action had been presented to FCC.
FCC late Wed. announced it wanted to “update and refresh” its record on Computer 3 requirements for dominant carriers and asked for new comment on issues it raised in Jan. 1998 proposed rulemaking. Agency asked for comment on variety of issues such as “any developments in the ISP market since 1998 that the Commission should consider in reexamining the effectiveness of [Computer 3 and Open Network Architecture (ONA)] requirements.” Agency asked whether ISPs still relied on ONA framework to get DSL services from Bell companies. “If ISPs use means other than ONA to acquire DSL service, commenters should identify such alternatives and discuss whether they offer a more effective and efficient approach for obtaining required services,” FCC said. Agency also asked whether: (1) There was way to make any safeguards it adopted more “self-enforcing.” (2) Unbundling requirements for ILECs under Telecom Act would ease concerns expressed in 1994 by 9th U.S. Appeals Court, San Francisco, about effectiveness of nonstructural safeguards set up in earlier ONA proceeding. Agency said comments would be due 30 days after publication of notice in Federal Register, with replies due 15 days later.
Several panelists at Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) conference Wed. in N.Y. said upcoming FCC order on reciprocal compensation payments would provide early sign of agency’s commitment to rely on market forces under Chmn. Powell. Verizon Senior Vp-Public Policy Thomas Tauke said work on reciprocal compensation order was likely to wrap up in next 30 days. “We are going to have a transition away from it, which will save us substantial amounts of money this year and next year,” he said. Tauke and others said they expected Commission to look at broader issue of intercarrier compensation shortly. He said there was “80% chance” that FCC would undertake some streamlining of Sec. 271 long distance application process, with 50-50 chance that changes would be “significant.”
Correction: In its recent ex parte presentation to FCC on cable open access issue, Comcast stressed, rather than complained about, its new service advances and increased competition that it faced from DBS providers and cable overbuilders (CD March 7 p9).
FCC Office of Engineering & Technology plans tutorial on operating support systems (OSS) at 9:30 a.m. March 15 at FCC meeting room. Representatives of Telcordia and Interconnection Solutions will discuss how OSS systems function and how they will evolve. -- (Kent Nilsson, 202-418-0845).