ILECs have a continuing obligation to provide DS1 and DS3 capacity loops on an unbundled basis, said the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission in a filing with the FCC in docket 15-1. That obligation isn't changed or eliminated when an ILEC replaces copper with fiber or when the transmission is switched to IP, the PUC said. Failing to maintain an unbundling requirement for DS1 and DS3 capacity loops could undermine competition, the filing said.

Atlantic Broadband and Univision Communications renewed their multiyear contract, said a news release from Atlantic Broadband. Atlantic has offered Univision programming to its Miami customers for 12 years, the release said. The agreement also includes rights for enhanced On Demand content and new TV Online capabilities that will let customers watch Univision programming on devices whenever and wherever they want, it said. The new capabilities are expected to roll out later in 2016.

The New York City Franchise and Concession Review Committee approved Charter Communications' buy of Time Warner Cable, said a resolution released Wednesday. The committee reviewed the deal and determined it complies with the terms and conditions of the franchise agreement, the resolution said. The committee also said the franchisee will have the technical, managerial and financial ability to comply with the provisions of the existing franchise agreement after the transaction is complete.

Nearly 32,000 residents are owed an estimated $2.7 million after they bought a product or service from Sprint but didn't receive the rebate that incentivized the sale, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs alleged in a lawsuit this week. Frerichs sued after Sprint and its clearinghouse partner, Young America of Minnesota, allegedly kept the rebate money, he said in a news release. The Treasurer’s Office can sue because rebates are considered unclaimed property if not paid within five years and must be surrendered to the state treasury and these purchases were made between 2003 and 2005, it said. “It is frustrating and wrong when these large companies with deep pockets and corporate attorneys break their promises, keep money that is not theirs, and dare people to file a lawsuit,” Frerichs said. A Sprint spokeswoman emailed: "This lawsuit is not about rebates that were withheld, but about rebate checks that were sent, but not cashed ... We do not believe the claims against Sprint have merit, and we will continue to seek a fair resolution in our settlement discussions with Illinois."

Having wireless emergency alert originators craft a single, 360-character message while legacy devices display only 90-character messages could cause public confusion and frustration, said the New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) Department in an ex parte letter filed Tuesday in docket 15-91. NYCEM opposes the option that legacy devices receive the first 90 characters along with an embedded URL that would link to a website with the entire WEA message. That option is problematic because anyone using a legacy device likely would not have access to the Internet on that phone, the filing said.

NTIA plans a broadband workshop March 22 in Seattle as part of the BroadbandUSA program, said a notice in Wednesday's Federal Register. The workshop aims to engage stakeholders in developing measures for community broadband access, adoption, policy and use as part of its efforts to develop the Community Connectivity Initiative, the agency said. NTIA said it also will host two webinars on the Community Connectivity Initiative March 24 and April 12.

New York State reached a settlement with Hilton Grand Vacations over unsolicited telemarketing sales calls, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said in a news release Monday. The company agreed to pay $250,000 and change business practices before continuing to make such calls to New York consumers, the release said. The state said the company is in violation of the Do Not Call law because calls were made to consumers whose numbers were correctly listed on the do-not-call registry, Cuomo said. The violations included 334 unsolicited marketing calls to 133 consumers who were registered, the release said. “This settlement will serve as a reminder that companies who violate this law will face consequences and that our administration will continue to protect New Yorkers from these unfair tactics,” Cuomo said. Hilton cooperated with the investigation and is happy the agreement allows it to "continue its telephone outreach for vacation packages to existing customers," a company spokeswoman emailed Tuesday. "We regularly evaluate our marketing practices and work with local, state, federal and international government agencies to ensure Hilton Grand Vacations continues to comply with regulations to protect consumers."

Telecom was the third most complained about industry in Illinois in 2015, Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) said in a news release Monday. The Consumer Fraud Bureau received 2,188 complaints about the industry -- which includes telemarketing, cable and satellite TV, phone service and repairs, and cellphones -- in 2015, she said. No. 2 on the list for the eighth year in a row is identity theft, with 2,636 complaints, Madigan said. Consumer debt -- mortgages, collection agencies and banks -- topped the list with 3,350 complaints, the release said. Madigan’s annual top 10 list of consumer complaints ranks every complaint her office receives on a range of topics.

During a webinar with state and territory single points of contact (SPOCs), FirstNet received more than 400 questions about its request for proposal for the network buildout, said a blog post from Director-Outreach Amanda Hilliard. She said the webinar focused on: a recap of the Southeast Public Safety Broadband Summit; an update on the RFP; consultation task teams; and the spring in-person SPOC meeting April 12 and 13. Most of the questions about the RFP were administrative or technical in nature, Hilliard said, including questions about deadlines and page counts. FirstNet plans a pre-proposal conference March 10, and proposals are due May 13, she said. FirstNet also discussed the establishing consultation task teams in each state and territory, she said. Those teams will cover quality of service, priority and pre-emption and enable subject matter experts from each state and territory to inform the network’s policies, FirstNet said.

Windstream plans to invest $38 million this year to improve Internet speeds, said a Wednesday news release from the company. Throughout the year, Windstream will deploy technology with new capabilities, including software that extends faster speeds further in the network, the telco said. In addition to improved network reliability and speeds, about 20 percent of customers in Georgia can get Internet speeds of up to 100 Mbps, it said.