Verizon and Sprint Nextel backed a Qwest appeal of three audit findings (CD April 29 p8) by the Universal Service Administrative Co. In the audit, USAC decided that Qwest must report partial Lifeline credit amounts on FCC Form 497 line 9. In comments last month the carriers -- and Qwest -- supported a similar appeal by AT&T (CD May 15 p3). In comments Monday, Verizon and Sprint largely repeated those arguments, urging the FCC to reverse. “The plain language used on Form 497 and the attendant Worksheet Instructions makes clear that pro-rating is entirely optional for the carrier,” Verizon said. Sprint agreed, adding that “tracking these mid-month changes is an administrative burden whose costs outweigh the benefits.” The carriers didn’t comment on the other two USAC findings on appeal: (1) that Qwest inappropriately seeks enhanced Lifeline support for customers not living on tribal lands, and (2) that the Bell has failed to keep customer certifications on file.
IPTV will play a bigger role in a restructured UTStarcom as it seeks to sell or spin off the personal communications division that handles U.S. sales of cellphones to Verizon, T- Mobile, Sprint and others, Chief Operating Officer Peter Blackmore told the company’s analyst day investor conference in New York Wednesday.
IPTV will play a bigger role in a restructured UTStarcom as it seeks to sell or spin off the personal communications division that handles U.S. sales of cellphones to Verizon, T- Mobile, Sprint and others, Chief Operating Officer Peter Blackmore told the company’s analyst day investor conference in New York Wednesday.
The Federal Maritime Commission has issued an Order to Show Cause for Central Agency of Florida, Inc., operating as an ocean transportation intermediary, for failure to designate and maintain a qualifying individual (QI). If Central Agency does not show cause, the FMC will order it to cease and desist from operating as an OTI. (FMC Order, D/N 08-02, dated 06/06/08, available at http://www.fmc.gov/UserFiles/pages/File/Dkt_08-02_Order_to_Show_Cause.pdf)
The National Marine Fisheries Service has issued a final rule, effective July 2, 2008, which modifies the permitting and reporting requirements for the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) International Trade Permit (ITP) program to:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted its report to Congress on the Automated Commercial Environment for the second quarter of fiscal year 2008 (January 1, 2008 - March 31, 2008). The report provides an update on ACE accomplishments, challenges, fiscal status, and upcoming program milestones.
The Department of Transportation is establishing a new Transportation Border Congestion Relief (TBCR) Program to help fight transportation border congestion at international land border crossings.
The Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a notice announcing its intention to conduct a Request for Referendum among eligible pork producers and importers of hogs, pigs, pork, and pork products to determine if those persons want a referendum to continue the Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order (Pork Order).
The new dark blue uniforms recently unveiled at BWI Airport’s TSA checkpoints didn’t result from an expensive study by consultants or a systematic plan by managers, said Stephen Goldsmith, a professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Instead, Goldsmith told the audience Tuesday at a Deloitte-sponsored seminar on Web 2.0 in Government, the new outfits came in response to comments by employees and travelers on Evolution of Security, the TSA blog.
Five submarine cable operators urged the FCC to create a new regulatory fee category for submarine cable systems. The firms now are in the international bearer circuit category. The proposed SCS fee would cover systems linking international points for which the FCC has issued a separate cable landing license, said Level 3 and four other companies in comments on 2008 regulatory fee assessment and collection. FCC rules require that the agency annually collect regulatory fees for “costs associated with the Commission’s enforcement, policy and rulemaking, user information, and international activities.” IBC regulatory fees for services sometimes exceed revenue, said Level 3, among the companies filing. The IBC fee “distorts the market by grossly overcharging high-capacity systems” and “discourages innovative submarine cable offerings,” the backhaul provider said. Fees must be updated to reflect industry changes, it said. The FCC still assesses submarine cable operators’ fees according to capacity though they haven’t had to ask the FCC for consent to add circuits since the 1996 Telecom Act, it said. To triple capacity, for example, Level 3 has to pay three times in regulatory fees, even though the FCC need do nothing more, it said. The five operators suggested the FCC split today’s IBC fee revenue requirement 50-50 between new IBC and SCS fees. To set each company’s SCS fee, the FCC would divide the revenue requirement by the number of payers, they said. The FCC should reduce submarine cable operators’ fees, but not at other companies’ expense, AT&T said. Changes to IBC fees “should not result in increased fees for other services or service providers,” it said. AT&T also claimed the current system has not handicapped the industry. “There is… no apparent adverse impact on industry growth from the existing fees, with Commission data showing a massive on- going expansion of U.S. submarine cable international circuit capacity, including substantial capacity increases by many private cable operators.”