The FCC likely will review cable ownership attribution rules, and act on them before setting national ownership limits, Commission sources said. Separating the 2 items would help align broadcast TV and cable system rules on the thresholds for media properties to be considered owned by a media firm for antitrust purposes, a source said. There are some “slight” differences in considering attribution of cable systems versus TV stations, a source said.
Notable CROSS rulings
The FCC asked for comments on SBC and VarTec’s petitions for declaratory ruling regarding the application of access charges to IP-transported calls. Specifically, SBC sought a ruling that wholesale transmission providers using IP technology to carry long distance calls originating and terminating on the PSTN are liable for access charged under Sec. 69.5 of the Commission’s rules. It asked the FCC to rule that providers meeting these criteria are interexchange carriers. VarTec asked the FCC to rule that it’s not required to pay access charges to terminating LECs when enhanced service providers or other carriers deliver calls directly to the terminating LECs. The company also sought a ruling that such calls are exempt from access charges when they're originated by a CMRS provider and don’t cross major trading area (MTA) boundaries. But it said terminating LECs should be required to pay VarTec for the transiting service it provides when LECs terminate intra-MTA calls originated by a CMRS provider. Comments are due Nov. 10, replies Dec. 12.
The Global IP Alliance is developing a searchable, online resource that tracks the status of VoIP regulation and legislation in 30 countries, organizers said Tues. at the group’s first meeting at the VON Convention in Boston. The alliance, spearheaded by Pulver.com, is trying to get the VoIP industry to take a more global approach to influencing regulatory policy, said Jonathan Askin, the alliance’s acting exec. dir. and Pulver.com gen. counsel. Its goal is to “promote a pragmatic and light handed public policy environment,” said a policy statement issued at the meeting. The group’s “Global VoIP Policy Status Matrix” is at www.ipall.org. The alliance also has a Wiki, an online forum to help interested parties such as industry and govt. representatives share information about the state of IP communications and oversight around the world. Askin said the group pictures the matrix, with information supplied by the Wiki, as a guide when industry groups develop policies for working with various countries’ govts. “No individual is in a position to describe the state of IP-based communications around the world, but, working together, we all may develop a clearer, more complete picture of the state of IP technology and the legal, regulatory and economic structures affecting it around the world,” the statement said. Govt. interest in regulating IP technology is growing and the IP-based communications industry “can no longer afford to sit back when the rules governing our future are written for us,” particularly since IP communications tend to operate globally, the group said. Members are MCI, Skype, Global Crossing, BellSouth, Pulver.com, Lavalife, KMC, Cortel and Volo Communications.
As the FCC prepares its pay-to-play probe, fueled by N.Y. Attorney Gen. Eliot Spitzer’s recent payola investigation, music industry experts Tues. welcomed any reforms to level the playing field for lesser known artists to get their songs on the radio. Musicians and activists cited frustrations and personal stories about the major record labels’ dominance over the airwaves at the Future of Music Coalition summit in D.C.
In a Fri. letter to FCC Chmn. Martin, who recently visited Katrina-affected areas, Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) said it’s developing an ATC system to ensure seamless emergency hybrid satellite/terrestrial communication (CD Sept 9 p4), an MSV official told us. Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV), which has deployed over 1,300 satellite terminals in the Gulf Coast area, is donating air time to relief agencies, the official said. “We're working with other telecom companies to provide onsite communication to displaced citizens, and we're reaching out to federal, state and local relief organizations, offering handsets at cost,” the official said, reporting a call volume of 4 times normal levels.
Wireless carriers reported significantly better coverage over the weekend in areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. Wireless carriers began restoring service to ruined areas but New Orleans had very limited cell coverage. Many carriers said they're helping public safety officials by providing phones and priority network access in the affected areas.
The FCC announced Fri. some of its offices would be open over the Labor Day weekend to handle emergency authorizations needed to get phone systems running again in the area hit by hurricane Katrina. The agency said providers needing special temporary authorizations or consultation with staff about their recovery efforts would be able to reach FCC personnel 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
BellSouth said it’s setting up tent cities for its employees in New Orleans and other Gulf Coast areas severely affected by Hurricane Katrina. It said it’s providing employees and their families food, shelter and clothing, and financial and other help to employees who lost their homes to Katrina. BellSouth has 13,000 employees across the affected region, about 1,000 in New Orleans.
The Commerce Dept. has assured PBS it’s ready to assemble an emergency appropriation to help public TV stations damaged by Hurricane Katrina, PBS Senior Vp- Technology & Operations Edward Caleca told us. The Corp. for Public Bcstg. also is developing a plan to assist the stations, he said.
The La. PSC staff decided to drop certain highly- contentious provisions from proposed rules to ensure fair competition between the Lafayette Utilities System’s (LUS) new broadband telecom venture and private broadband providers and prevent improper cross-subsidies between the city’s electric and telecom businesses. The staff revised the proposal after reviewing comments. The revised rules could come up for a vote at the Sept. 1 Lafayette City Council meeting. The staff deleted a rule that would have barred LUS from backing its telecom bonds with general utility revenues. Instead, the staff proposed to require that telecom bonds “shall be secured and paid solely” from telecom revenue, meanwhile allowing the city to “pledge” general utility revenues to get optimum interest rates. The language copies state statutes. The Lafayette City Council Tues. introduced an ordinance requiring LUS to pay off the telecom bonds first with telecom revenue, then from “residual revenues” of other city utilities. Voters in July approved a $125 million LUS bond issue to finance the municipal telecom project. The staff also removed a proposed requirement that LUS pay the city govt. in-lieu- of-tax payments based on gross revenue, even before the new business becomes profitable, and allow LUS to decide for itself when in-lieu payments begin. Despite protests by LUS, the staff kept a rule requiring LUS to share its utility billing system with private broadband providers if it shares that system with the new telecom operation, on identical terms and conditions.