DBS Arguments Against Regulatory Fee Hike Meritless, ACA Says; Others Seek Fee Tweaks

DirecTV and Dish Network objections to a proposed hike in direct broadcast satellite regulatory fees lack merit since consumers won't be harmed, the American Cable Association said in an FCC docket 17-134 filing posted Monday. ACA said the Media Bureau's MVPD activities involve DBS providers and cable and IPTV providers equally, and all see equivalent benefits. That justifies the proposed hike and supports full parity among MVPD payers, it said. Dish and DirecTV didn't comment Monday. CTIA, meanwhile, said non-high cost USF full-time equivalent employees who get reallocated should be reallocated as indirect FTEs, and there's no reason for reclassifying FTEs from the Wireline Bureau who work on high-cost USF or other agency-wide issues. It urged rejection of combining commercial mobile radio service and interstate telecommunications service provider regulatory fee categories and of a flat per-license fee on Communications Act international Section 214 authorizations. Level 3 backed AT&T's call for regulatory fees on both common carrier and non-common carrier terrestrial international bearer circuits, saying the FCC should seek further comment on eliminating the IBC fee category in favor of an assessment on each international 214 authorization or each holder of an international 214 authorization.