USTelecom and member companies oppose delays or fundamental rule changes to the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auctions, in a filing posted Thursday in docket 20-34. Executives from AT&T, CenturyLink, Consolidated Communications, Frontier Communications, Windstream and Verizon spoke with aides to FCC Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks Tuesday.
The North American Numbering Council will vote at its online meeting July 14 on recommendations from the Numbering Administration Oversight Working Group's billing and collection fund size projections and contributions factor and on the Toll Free Number Assignment WG's analysis of the 833 toll-free number auction (see 2005050032), the FCC said Wednesday. NANC decides July 28 on recommendations from the Nationwide Number Portability WG on an analysis of the IP local routing number solution and from the Interoperable Video Calling WG on implementation of a database to determine whether an originating video call can be completed.
The FCC added two Wireline Bureau items to its circulation list posted Friday. An order in docket 18-155 addresses Aureon's petition for reconsideration of September's access arbitrage order (see 1909300023). It doesn't address more recent concerns that stem from increased call terminations due to spikes in teleconferencing services during COVID-19, agency officials told us Tuesday. Commissioners will also vote on an opinion and order for docket 20-11 on the five-month investigation into Northern Valley's tariff revisions filed in December (see 2001100040). In an ex parte filing posted Tuesday, Northern Valley asked the FCC to uphold its tariff revisions that are disputed by AT&T.
The FCC Wireline Bureau granted North American Local 15 extra days to contest a Universal Service Administrative Co. decision on noncompliance with Lifeline program rules, in an order Friday for docket 11-42. The company requested a 60-day extension due to COVID-19.
The FCC adopted a 2020 modification for average schedule interstate price revisions as proposed in December by the National Exchange Carrier Association (see 1912230067), to start July 1, the Wireline Bureau ordered Thursday.
The FCC is seeking comment by July 6, replies 30 days later, on an NPRM to eliminate ex ante pricing regulation and tariffing of telephone access charges, says Thursday's Federal Register. The docket is 20-71.
Smaller carriers that haven’t converted landline systems to VoIP seek extensions to comply with the secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) and secure handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) caller ID authentication framework requirements from the Traced Act, in comments posted through Monday in docket 20-67. They face implementation challenges (see 2002260058). NTCA wants the deadline extended to June 2023 for rural LECs. The FCC should “adopt compliance timeframes tied to RLECs’ ability to obtain and integrate into operating budgets vendor solutions," NTCA said. Extensions "without regard to the actual circumstances impacting implementation would only risk holding back the pace of the IP transition," AT&T said. USTelecom urged "proceed[ing] with caution" because in its experience "virtually all illegal robocalls are either originated by small IP-based providers" or gain network access through them. USTelecom said it supports a one-year implementation extension "due to undue hardship for small voice providers, on a case-by-case basis." Establish "policies that address the robocall and spoofing challenges differently for TDM than for IP," Verizon said. ACA Connects members need time and flexibility to overcome implementation barriers, it said. Consider transition costs and the amount of TDM that remains in the network, WTA suggested: Encourage research and deployment on alternative call authentication methodologies. WISPA asked for waivers. "Unlike larger nationwide providers, small providers often are dependent on third-party vendors" in such situations, the Competitive Carriers Association said: "Any delay by a vendor would be out of a provider’s control." T-Mobile wants the FCC to extend the mandate to intermediate carriers because otherwise terminating carriers can't verify a call's identification. Include wireline, wireless, VoIP providers and over-the-top voice services, NCTA said. Facilitating the VoIP transition could maximize effectiveness, Comcast said.
Executives from USTelecom, the Wireless ISP Association and their members spoke with officials from the FCC Wireline and Wireless bureaus, Office of Economics and Analytics and Office of Engineering and Technology about their proposal for reporting fixed wireless propagation for digital opportunity data collection, said a filing posted Friday in docket 19-195. They said requirements for mobile wireless and fixed wireless can be similar but not identical because "designing and calibrating networks to serve discrete fixed locations presents different challenges than ensuring broad wireless coverage to mobile users."
Comments are due May 29, replies June 5, on a request from Sprint for interim waiver and rate relief for its IP relay service, and for a proposed change in per-minute interstate compensation rates for the telecom relay services fund in funding year 2020-21, said a Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau public notice Friday for dockets including 03-123.
Incompas added Ligado, Tilson and eight other member companies, it said Thursday, after recently naming Tilson CEO Joshua Broder to its board (see personals section, May 13).