Net neutrality comments are due at the FCC Tuesday and most observers expect most key industry players to weigh in. Industry observers told us the battle lines are well drawn, but the comments are still likely to be closely read by the FCC and some could form the basis for eventual legal challenges to the rules. The FCC approved rules for the first time in December 2010, under former Chairman Julius Genachowski. In January, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned many of the rules (CD Jan 15 p1), virtually guaranteeing that net neutrality would be a big issue for Genachowski’s successor Tom Wheeler as well.
Net neutrality comments are due at the FCC Tuesday and most observers expect most key industry players to weigh in. Industry observers told us the battle lines are well drawn, but the comments are still likely to be closely read by the FCC and some could form the basis for eventual legal challenges to the rules. The FCC approved rules for the first time in December 2010, under former Chairman Julius Genachowski. In January, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned many of the rules, virtually guaranteeing that net neutrality would be a big issue for Genachowski’s successor Tom Wheeler as well.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is bringing in economists and lawyers from outside the agency to oversee the review of Comcast’s proposed buy of Time Warner Cable and AT&T’s of DirecTV, the agency said Monday. Both teams will be under the overall direction of FCC General Counsel Jonathan Sallet.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is bringing in economists and lawyers from outside the agency to oversee the review of Comcast’s proposed buy of Time Warner Cable and AT&T’s of DirecTV, the agency said Monday. Both teams will be under the overall direction of FCC General Counsel Jonathan Sallet.
Commenters on the FCC 2014 quadrennial review (QR) of media ownership rules will be able to use demographic data as a basis for their comments, due to simultaneous release of the commission’s 2014 report on ownership of commercial broadcast stations (http://bit.ly/1mnqjYm) and a one-month extension of QR deadlines (http://bit.ly/1sL3hUN), several public interest group officials said in interviews Friday. Although the statistics, garnered from station Form 323 submissions, are less extensive than public interest groups would like, it will still inform comments on the QR rulemaking, said Andrew Schwartzman, senior counselor at Georgetown Law’s Institute for Public Representation.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is trying to line up votes in favor of E-rate reform for action at the agency’s July 11 open meeting. It’s unclear whether Wheeler will be able to get Republican support for the changes, dedicating $1 billion to Wi-Fi in 2015, industry and agency officials said Tuesday. To that end, Wheeler is emphasizing that his proposal does not increase the E-rate budget, but relies on $2 billion commission staff recently found has been set aside for E-rate but never spent.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is trying to line up votes in favor of E-rate reform for action at the agency’s July 11 open meeting. It’s unclear whether Wheeler will be able to get Republican support for the changes, dedicating $1 billion to Wi-Fi in 2015, industry and agency officials said Tuesday. To that end, Wheeler is emphasizing that his proposal does not increase the E-rate budget, but relies on $2 billion commission staff recently found has been set aside for E-rate but never spent.
The FCC violated the Administrative Procedure Act when it “hurriedly promulgated rules” -- without seeking comment -- that banned companies from giving away IP Captioned Telephone Service phones with the captioning feature turned on. That’s the unanimous holding of three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which found that an agency is not entitled to deference when it invokes “good cause” as a reason for bypassing the APA. The court vacated the agency’s “interim” order and parts of the final order, while leaving the remainder intact. The case is Sorenson Communications v. FCC (http://1.usa.gov/1psR2Z4).
The FCC information collection on peering and interconnection practices could violate the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), industry observers said in interviews Monday. Chairman Tom Wheeler Friday announced he had directed staff to start gathering information from ISPs and content providers on what interconnection and peering agreements are in place (WID June 16 p1). The PRA applies to collections of information using identical questions posed to 10 or more persons.
The FCC information collection on peering and interconnection practices could violate the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), industry observers said in interviews Monday. Chairman Tom Wheeler Friday announced he had directed staff to start gathering information from ISPs and content providers on what interconnection and peering agreements are in place (CD June 16 p1). The PRA applies to collections of information using identical questions posed to 10 or more persons.