The National Emergency Number Association and others urged an end to 911 fee diversion, after the FCC released another report showing several states using 911 fees from phone bills for things not directly related to 911. Eight states and Puerto Rico together diverted nearly $220.3 million, or about 8.4 percent of total fees collected by 49 states and four territories reporting in 2015, the commission said in an annual report to Congress released Friday (see 1701130065). Some state lawmakers want to close the spigot through legislation this session; state executives defended the practice.
Senior Trump transition staff approved an FCC landing team action plan for the agency Friday, and everything "is moving forward," an informed person told us. "It’s what you’d expect from a Republican administration: it’s consistent with the views of [Commissioner Ajit] Pai and [Commissioner Michael] O’Rielly, the Republican platform, and what [President-elect Donald] Trump and [Vice President-elect Mike] Pence have been saying. There’s an emphasis on the use of markets and letting customers and businesses make choices."
The transition team for President-elect Donald Trump named five more individuals to the FTC landing team, most of whom have expertise in antitrust, competition and other financial issues. Several observers told us Tuesday they think the commission under the incoming administration will take a more harms-based approach. Meanwhile, former FTC Commissioner Joshua Wright met with Trump over the weekend in New York, spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters on a conference call Tuesday. Spicer didn't specify the substance of the discussion and Wright declined to comment.
The transition team for President-elect Donald Trump named five more individuals to the FTC landing team, most of whom have expertise in antitrust, competition and other financial issues. Several observers told us Tuesday they think the commission under the incoming administration will take a more harms-based approach. Meanwhile, former FTC Commissioner Joshua Wright met with Trump over the weekend in New York, spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters on a conference call Tuesday. Spicer didn't specify the substance of the discussion and Wright declined to comment.
Senior Trump transition staff approved an FCC landing team action plan for the agency Friday, and everything "is moving forward," an informed person told us. "It’s what you’d expect from a Republican administration: it’s consistent with the views of [Commissioner Ajit] Pai and [Commissioner Michael] O’Rielly, the Republican platform, and what [President-elect Donald] Trump and [Vice President-elect Mike] Pence have been saying. There’s an emphasis on the use of markets and letting customers and businesses make choices."
The FCC International Bureau approved two trans-Pacific undersea cable systems connecting the U.S. and Asian nations. Applications for submarine cable landing licenses were granted to the fiber systems in two bureau public notices (here, here) listed Friday in the agency's electronic documents management system. Both applications were coordinated with the State Department and other executive branch agencies, said the PNs. They said the New Cross-Pacific (NCP) system will connect the continental U.S., China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and the Southeast Asia-US (SEA-US) system will connect the continental U.S., Indonesia, Philippines, Guam and Hawaii. NCP received some letters of support and SEA-US was unopposed, the PNs said. "As the infrastructure of the Internet, these systems will provide critical connectivity between the United States and the Asia-Pacific region," said an email from attorney Kent Bressie of Harris Wiltshire, which worked on the applications. He said Harris Wiltshire jointly represented (1) Microsoft, China Mobile International, China Telecom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom and KT Corp. on NCP, and (2) Globe Telecom (Philippines), GTA (Guam), GTI Corp. (U.S.), Hawaiian Telcom, RAM Telecom International (U.S.), Telin (Indonesia) and Telkom USA on SEA-US.
The FCC International Bureau approved two trans-Pacific undersea cable systems connecting the U.S. and Asian nations. Applications for submarine cable landing licenses were granted to the fiber systems in two bureau public notices (here, here) listed Friday in the agency's electronic documents management system. Both applications were coordinated with the State Department and other executive branch agencies, said the PNs. They said the New Cross-Pacific (NCP) system will connect the continental U.S., China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and the Southeast Asia-US (SEA-US) system will connect the continental U.S., Indonesia, Philippines, Guam and Hawaii. NCP received some letters of support and SEA-US was unopposed, the PNs said. "As the infrastructure of the Internet, these systems will provide critical connectivity between the United States and the Asia-Pacific region," said an email from attorney Kent Bressie of Harris Wiltshire, which worked on the applications. He said Harris Wiltshire jointly represented (1) Microsoft, China Mobile International, China Telecom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom and KT Corp. on NCP, and (2) Globe Telecom (Philippines), GTA (Guam), GTI Corp. (U.S.), Hawaiian Telcom, RAM Telecom International (U.S.), Telin (Indonesia) and Telkom USA on SEA-US.
Edith Ramirez, who has led the FTC since 2013 during her nearly seven-year stint there, said Friday she's resigning Feb. 10, potentially leaving the agency with only two commissioners. Neither President Barack Obama, nor President-elect Donald Trump has publicly nominated anyone to fill the two current vacancies on the five-member commission, which has been doing business with three since April. At least one former commissioner and several former staffers said the FTC doesn't need a quorum to conduct business and thought the agency would function just fine. The Trump transition team didn't comment.
Edith Ramirez, who has led the FTC since 2013 during her nearly seven-year stint there, said Friday she's resigning Feb. 10, potentially leaving the agency with only two commissioners. Neither President Barack Obama, nor President-elect Donald Trump has publicly nominated anyone to fill the two current vacancies on the five-member commission, which has been doing business with three since April. At least one former commissioner and several former staffers said the FTC doesn't need a quorum to conduct business and thought the agency would function just fine. The Trump transition team didn't comment.
Edith Ramirez, who has led the FTC since 2013 during her nearly seven-year stint there, said Friday she's resigning Feb. 10, potentially leaving the agency with only two commissioners. Neither President Barack Obama, nor President-elect Donald Trump has publicly nominated anyone to fill the two current vacancies on the five-member commission, which has been doing business with three since April. At least one former commissioner and several former staffers said the FTC doesn't need a quorum to conduct business and thought the agency would function just fine. The Trump transition team didn't comment.