T-Mobile CEO John Legere and Sprint Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure faced no outright opposition to the carriers' proposed combination during a Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing. Many Democrats registered varying degrees of skepticism regarding the executives' claims. Questions tilted toward focus on antitrust aspects of T-Mobile/Sprint, as expected (see 1902120056). Some probed the carriers' claims about the transaction's benefits for deploying 5G. Legere and other executives from the two carriers met FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Friday, they said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-197.
T-Mobile CEO John Legere and Sprint Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure faced no outright opposition to the carriers' proposed combination during a Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing. Many Democrats registered varying degrees of skepticism regarding the executives' claims. Questions tilted toward focus on antitrust aspects of T-Mobile/Sprint, as expected (see 1902120056). Some probed the carriers' claims about the transaction's benefits for deploying 5G. Legere and other executives from the two carriers met FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Friday, they said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-197.
NARUC's Telecom Committee unanimously cleared an amended Lifeline resolution urging the FCC and Universal Service Administrative Co. ensure the national verifier accesses state databases required to automatically check users are eligible. USAC is responding to concerns and committed to making the NV work, South Dakota Commissioner Chris Nelson told us after the vote.
NARUC's Telecom Committee unanimously cleared an amended Lifeline resolution urging the FCC and Universal Service Administrative Co. ensure the national verifier accesses state databases required to automatically check users are eligible. USAC is responding to concerns and committed to making the NV work, South Dakota Commissioner Chris Nelson told us after the vote.
Universal Service Administrative Co. hasn't de-enrolled any Lifeline users who failed the national verifier's automatic reverification, and no decision has been made on when that will happen, USAC Vice President-Lifeline Michelle Garber told the Telecom Staff Subcommittee at NARUC Sunday. A state commissioner and subcommittee members grilled Garber on high rates of users failing the automated check due to the NV not accessing all databases relevant to determining eligibility, with USAC not even trying to access them in higher cost states.
Universal Service Administrative Co. hasn't de-enrolled any Lifeline users who failed the national verifier's automatic reverification, and no decision has been made on when that will happen, USAC Vice President-Lifeline Michelle Garber told the Telecom Staff Subcommittee at NARUC Sunday. A state commissioner and subcommittee members grilled Garber on high rates of users failing the automated check due to the NV not accessing all databases relevant to determining eligibility, with USAC not even trying to access them in higher cost states.
New Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said the FCC must move quickly on complaints AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint are selling customers' real-time location data to bounty hunters (see 1901080046). The ex-Enforcement Bureau staffer, flanked by staff, met reporters Friday.
New Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said the FCC must move quickly on complaints AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint are selling customers' real-time location data to bounty hunters (see 1901080046). The ex-Enforcement Bureau staffer, flanked by staff, met reporters Friday.
The California Public Utilities Commission won't assess surcharges on text-message revenue for state USF, after an FCC order persuaded state commissioners to pull back a proposal to affirm texting is subject to public purpose program fees. Despite consumer group opposition (see 1901140045), the CPUC voted unanimously Thursday for the reversal in docket R17-06-023 without discussion as part of the consent agenda. The Utility Reform Network is "working with other groups to find a way to turn back this troubling precedent," emailed TURN Managing Director-San Diego Christine Mailloux. "We are disappointed in the Commission’s decision to move forward so quickly without putting sufficient effort into alternatives to ensure that California’s public purpose programs, serving our most vulnerable consumers, are well funded and supported," she said. "Carriers’ profit and public relations machine won out."
The California Public Utilities Commission won't assess surcharges on text-message revenue for state USF, after an FCC order persuaded state commissioners to pull back a proposal to affirm texting is subject to public purpose program fees. Despite consumer group opposition (see 1901140045), the CPUC voted unanimously Thursday for the reversal in docket R17-06-023 without discussion as part of the consent agenda. The Utility Reform Network is "working with other groups to find a way to turn back this troubling precedent," emailed TURN Managing Director-San Diego Christine Mailloux. "We are disappointed in the Commission’s decision to move forward so quickly without putting sufficient effort into alternatives to ensure that California’s public purpose programs, serving our most vulnerable consumers, are well funded and supported," she said. "Carriers’ profit and public relations machine won out."