AT&T was a key focus of congressional debate on the IP transition Wednesday. The House Communications Subcommittee, at a hearing on the evolution of wired communications networks, pressed AT&T’s Jim Cicconi, senior executive vice president-external and legislative affairs, on the nature of IP-enabled services and the FCC’s urgency in conducting trials. Written testimony from the hearing’s witnesses showed friction on how some IP transition principles should be executed and how to handle such controversial topics as all-IP interconnection agreements (CD Oct 23 p6).
There’s no stopping the transition to IP-enabled services, and the FCC needs to step up its game, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President-External and Legislative Affairs James Cicconi plans to tell the House Communications Subcommittee Wednesday. According to written testimony (http://1.usa.gov/16sWLlM), he will emphasize consumer demand for wireless and IP-enabled services, which he will tie to the virtues of the IP transition that AT&T has urged the FCC to focus on. Stakeholders will debate before the subcommittee what principles and timeline should accompany this transition.
The FCC started what is expected to be a long process of digging out Thursday, opening its doors for the first time since Oct. 1. The FCC put out a notice early in the day saying all filing deadlines were suspended, other than Network Outage Reporting System filings, through Monday (http://fcc.us/19THOiF). ECFS is back, but one lawyer told us he had been unable to make a filing. The commissioner offices have started to talk about such issues as rescheduling the October FCC meeting and other meetings as well as agency filings delayed by the closure, agency officials told us. Some communications lawyers said FCC staffers have been reaching out to ask about urgent issues for the FCC to address now that the agency is open.
The FCC approved 2-1 Thursday, over Commissioner Ajit Pai’s second dissent of the meeting, an NPRM on whether carriers should be required to report data on tower outages during emergencies. The dissent was expected (CD Sept 26 p3). Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel indicated she also had questions about the NPRM. FCC and industry officials told us the NPRM was largely “bureau driven” with the Public Safety Bureau’s strong support. Consumers Union (CU) asked the FCC to require carriers to release to consumers the data that they must already file at the FCC.
The FCC approved, on a 3-0 vote Thursday, launching a rulemaking aimed at cutting red tape on deployment of distributed antenna systems and small cells and allowing for faster deployment of temporary cell towers. The NPRM was the only item to get a unanimous vote Thursday.
The FCC approved, on a 3-0 vote Thursday, launching a rulemaking aimed at cutting red tape on deployment of distributed antenna systems and small cells and allowing for faster deployment of temporary cell towers. The NPRM was the only item to get a unanimous vote Thursday.
FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai will vote against an NPRM seeking comment on eliminating the UHF discount on TV station ownership at the commission’s open meeting Thursday, a spokesman for his office told us. The item will likely still be approved on the strength of votes from Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn, said an FCC official. Neither commissioner’s office commented.
Nominees for the FCC and FTC advanced a step in the Senate this week, but it remains unclear when the agencies will get new commissioners. The Senate Commerce Committee set its hearing on FCC nominee Mike O'Rielly and FTC nominee Terrell McSweeny for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in 253 Russell (CD Sept 12 p1). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., “is going to want to move all of them together,” Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld told us, referring to the FCC nominees being paired and put forward with McSweeny. “That could conceivably happen at any time.” Observers were optimistic about how fast Congress might advance the FCC nominees while remaining cautious on the FTC nominee.
Nominees for the FCC and FTC advanced a step in the Senate this week, but it remains unclear when the agencies will get new commissioners. The Senate Commerce Committee set its hearing on FCC nominee Mike O'Rielly and FTC nominee Terrell McSweeny for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in 253 Russell. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., “is going to want to move all of them together,” Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld told us, referring to the FCC nominees being paired and put forward with McSweeny. “That could conceivably happen at any time.” Observers were optimistic about how fast Congress might advance the FCC nominees while remaining cautious on the FTC nominee.
All three FCC commissioners told Congress the agency’s priorities range from spectrum auctions to the Internet Protocol transition to a forthcoming order to be circulated on rural call completion. They testified Wednesday before the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, in a hearing that ranged well beyond the FY 2014 budget slated for discussion.