The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau conditionally granted the General Services Administration's waiver request of telecom relay services user registration requirement for IP relay service and IP captioned telephone service, said an order Friday in docket 03-123 (see 2103230049). The waiver applies to federal government employees and on-premises contractors only, and providers are required to use a “modified form” of the video relay service enterprise registration process, the order said.
Core Communications "has not met its burden" of proving its revised tariff is "just and reasonable," said an FCC order in docket 21-191 Thursday directing Core to refile its tariff. The agency rejected Core's claim its revisions were supported by statements made by commission staff in informal discussions. Core "attempts to shift the responsibility for detecting and blocking fraudulent traffic onto" interexchange carriers and is "inconsistent" with FCC call blocking rules, the order said. It directs the Wireline Bureau to "ensure that the commission's findings are properly reflected in Core's new revised tariff" and determine any refunds that may be required once a new revised tariff is effective. Core's attorney didn't comment.
Don’t adopt session initiation protocol code 603 as the industry standard for call blocking notifications, said the Voice on the Net Coalition in a letter posted Wednesday in docket 17-59 (see 2108270070). That code that USTelecom seeks “would be clumsy, at best,” VON said. It recommended the FCC require industry and standards organizations to resolve all technical issues for using SIP codes 607 and 608 by a specific deadline.
The FTC and California's claims against Frontier alleging it misrepresented its speeds to DSL customers may continue, wrote U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Judge Gary Klausner in an order partially denying the telco’s motion to dismiss claims brought by the FTC and six states, posted Monday (case 2:21-cv-04155) (see 2108310064). Frontier's “blunt framing of their jurisdictional argument ignores the reality” that personal jurisdiction is “assessed ‘with respect to each claim,’” Klausner wrote. The court dismissed claims by Arizona, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin for lack of personal jurisdiction. "Judicial economy, as well as the interest of comity, favors trying these claims in courts that are familiar with the applicable law in the states where the alleged injuries occurred," Klausner wrote. “We have received the court’s decision and are reviewing it,” emailed a spokesperson for Wisconsin's attorney general Monday. Michigan's Department of Attorney General is "reviewing the order and considering our options," emailed a spokesperson. North Carolina's DOJ is reviewing the order, per a spokesperson. AGs in Arizona and Indiana didn’t comment, and nor did the carrier.
The FCC Wireline Bureau wants comment by Oct. 18, replies by Oct. 25, in docket 09-197 on Cyber Broadband, Monster Broadband, Seimitsu, Tombigbee Communications and Windstream petitions for eligible telecom carrier designation from winning Rural Digital Opportunity Fund providers, said a public notice listed in Monday's Daily Digest.
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau OK'd interim usage charges for subscriptions to the FCC reassigned numbers database that's expected to become available Nov. 1, said a public notice Friday in docket 17-59. Interim rates will take effect upon Federal Register publication. SomosGov, the current RND administrator, will notify users two weeks prior to any pricing changes, it said Friday.
No major changes were made to the final Further NPRM approved during the FCC's Thursday meeting tightening rules for gateway providers to curb illegal robocalls originating abroad, according to our comparison to the draft (see 2109240060). Comments will be due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, 60 days for replies.
The FCC Wireline Bureau released its annual Form 499-A telecom reporting worksheet and instructions for reporting 2021 revenue in 2022, said a public notice Friday in docket 06-122. It also released a quarterly Form 499-Q telecom reporting worksheet and instructions to report this year’s projected and collected revenue.
NTCA asked FCC Wireline Bureau staff to act on the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates' petition for reconsideration of the phase-down of Lifeline voice-only support set for Dec. 1, said an ex parte posted Thursday in docket 11-42 (see 2108030072). There's a “need for swift commission action on the NASUCA petition” because “many low-income consumers continue to rely on voice service for critical communications,” the group said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau extended Inteliquent's waiver of access stimulation rules for the fifth time, until Dec. 1, citing COVID-19, said an order Thursday in docket 18-155 (see 2103230060). The bureau granted a three-month waiver instead of the six months Inteliquent sought due to the pandemic's “rapidly changing circumstances.”