Three video relay service providers urged the FCC to stabilize a VRS market they say is under pressure from a 2013-17 agency schedule of compensation rate cuts. With rates at their lowest level ever and consumer demand flat, Sorenson Communications said, VRS compensation was $44.2 million in August, down from $54.5 million in May 2010, forcing providers to cut costs while trying to maintain service quality. Innovation and support technology will come from VRS providers, not government, and industry needs "greater financial stability over the next five years," said a Sorenson filing Tuesday in docket 03-123. Convo Communications and Purple Communications executives met with FCC officials about VRS market conditions, including the impact of implementing "dramatic VRS rate cuts on competitive providers' viability and ability to compete for market share." Sorenson is the top provider. "Although the 2013 VRS Reform Order set forth reforms intended to enable competitive providers to grow market share and reduce costs concurrently with the declining rates, those structural reforms have yet to be realized in the market even as rates have dropped," said a Convo/Purple filing on discussions with aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioners Ajit Pai, Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel. "The need for VRS rate structure reform that will help stabilize the marketplace and the potential components of such reform were discussed." Sorenson and affiliate CaptionCall, which joined its filing, also suggested various steps the FCC could take to ensure IP captioned telephone services are provided to consumers "who actually need them," including by having users screened by independent hearing health professionals to certify their needs.
Three video relay service providers urged the FCC to stabilize a VRS market they say is under pressure from a 2013-17 agency schedule of compensation rate cuts. With rates at their lowest level ever and consumer demand flat, Sorenson Communications said, VRS compensation was $44.2 million in August, down from $54.5 million in May 2010, forcing providers to cut costs while trying to maintain service quality. Innovation and support technology will come from VRS providers, not government, and industry needs "greater financial stability over the next five years," said a Sorenson filing Tuesday in docket 03-123. Convo Communications and Purple Communications executives met with FCC officials about VRS market conditions, including the impact of implementing "dramatic VRS rate cuts on competitive providers' viability and ability to compete for market share." Sorenson is the top provider. "Although the 2013 VRS Reform Order set forth reforms intended to enable competitive providers to grow market share and reduce costs concurrently with the declining rates, those structural reforms have yet to be realized in the market even as rates have dropped," said a Convo/Purple filing on discussions with aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioners Ajit Pai, Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel. "The need for VRS rate structure reform that will help stabilize the marketplace and the potential components of such reform were discussed." Sorenson and affiliate CaptionCall, which joined its filing, also suggested various steps the FCC could take to ensure IP captioned telephone services are provided to consumers "who actually need them," including by having users screened by independent hearing health professionals to certify their needs.
The FCC approved revised rules for wireless emergency alerts (WEA) and sought comment on future changes. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly partly dissented, objecting to some policy calls. The order, as expected (see 1609220008), increases the maximum length of WEA messages from 90 to 360 characters for 4G LTE and future networks and requires participating wireless providers to support inclusion of embedded phone numbers and URLs in all WEA alerts, said a Thursday news release.
The FCC unanimously approved rules to make it easier for broadcasters and common carriers to receive capital from foreign investors, as expected (see 1609190061). The rule changes codify the process of seeking a foreign ownership declaratory ruling for broadcasters, give them more latitude once such a ruling is issued, and take steps to prevent publicly traded companies that can't identify all their investors from running afoul of the foreign ownership rules, said a Thursday FCC fact sheet. The order is "a praiseworthy example" of the FCC creating opportunity, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said.
The FCC approved revised rules for wireless emergency alerts (WEA) and sought comment on future changes. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly partly dissented, objecting to some policy calls. The order, as expected (see 1609220008), increases the maximum length of WEA messages from 90 to 360 characters for 4G LTE and future networks and requires participating wireless providers to support inclusion of embedded phone numbers and URLs in all WEA alerts, said a Thursday news release.
The FCC approved revised rules for wireless emergency alerts (WEA) and sought comment on future changes. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly partly dissented, objecting to some policy calls. The order, as expected (see 1609220008), increases the maximum length of WEA messages from 90 to 360 characters for 4G LTE and future networks and requires participating wireless providers to support inclusion of embedded phone numbers and URLs in all WEA alerts, said a Thursday news release.
Senators clashed on the chamber floor Tuesday over the block from Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., of the Commerce Committee’s bipartisan Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555). Commerce Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., went to the floor to formally ask for unanimous consent approval of his measure, as expected last week, which prompted a formal objection. Reid objected and defended the hold he has had on the measure’s hotline process filing since summer -- and a Reid aide told us later that Reid would do the same if Thune tries to seek unanimous consent consideration of the FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644).
Senators clashed on the chamber floor Tuesday over the block from Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., of the Commerce Committee’s bipartisan Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555). Commerce Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., went to the floor to formally ask for unanimous consent approval of his measure, as expected last week, which prompted a formal objection. Reid objected and defended the hold he has had on the measure’s hotline process filing since summer -- and a Reid aide told us later that Reid would do the same if Thune tries to seek unanimous consent consideration of the FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644).
Midwest RLECs voiced concern the FCC may alter model-based USF subsidy criteria for rate-of-return carriers to exclude many entities, while Alaska carriers cited fiber and middle-mile cost challenges. Eleven rural telcos from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa said they intend by Nov. 1 to opt into subsidy support derived from a broadband Alternative Connect America Cost Model (ACAM). The companies "were both surprised and concerned" with language in an Aug. 3 Wireline Bureau public notice (see 1608030049) "indicating that it might 'prioritize' among electing carriers on the basis of one or more of three different potential criteria (percentage of locations lacking 10/1 Mbps, absolute number of locations lacking 10/1 and/or average cost per location)," said a filing from the group Friday in docket 10-90 on a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. The rural telcos are concerned potential FCC changes, probably after Nov. 1, could "significantly decrease the number of RLECs eligible to participate in the ACAM Path." The possibility some carriers might be excluded would be "an arbitrary and unfair change" of rules "in the middle of the process," they said. In a Monday filing, representatives of GVNW Consulting and Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative met separately with aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler, Commissioner Mike O'Rielly and Rosenworcel about an FCC order adopting a modified "Alaska Plan" for rate-of-return and wireless carrier broadband support (see 1608310067). While lauding the order, the RLEC representatives said fiber deployment costs were expected to rise with demand, and small carriers would be competing with large carriers for contractors, crews and equipment. "Middle mile is the step after the implementation is initiated for the consensus Alaska Plan that relates to the last mile costs," said the GVNW filing. "If last mile issues are not adequately addressed for Alaska, any middle mile debate is moot. We provided an update from the nearly completed Alaska Network Services (ANS) analysis that revealed that the cost of extending the middle mile network across Alaska exceeds $2 billion."
Midwest RLECs voiced concern the FCC may alter model-based USF subsidy criteria for rate-of-return carriers to exclude many entities, while Alaska carriers cited fiber and middle-mile cost challenges. Eleven rural telcos from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa said they intend by Nov. 1 to opt into subsidy support derived from a broadband Alternative Connect America Cost Model (ACAM). The companies "were both surprised and concerned" with language in an Aug. 3 Wireline Bureau public notice (see 1608030049) "indicating that it might 'prioritize' among electing carriers on the basis of one or more of three different potential criteria (percentage of locations lacking 10/1 Mbps, absolute number of locations lacking 10/1 and/or average cost per location)," said a filing from the group Friday in docket 10-90 on a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. The rural telcos are concerned potential FCC changes, probably after Nov. 1, could "significantly decrease the number of RLECs eligible to participate in the ACAM Path." The possibility some carriers might be excluded would be "an arbitrary and unfair change" of rules "in the middle of the process," they said. In a Monday filing, representatives of GVNW Consulting and Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative met separately with aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler, Commissioner Mike O'Rielly and Rosenworcel about an FCC order adopting a modified "Alaska Plan" for rate-of-return and wireless carrier broadband support (see 1608310067). While lauding the order, the RLEC representatives said fiber deployment costs were expected to rise with demand, and small carriers would be competing with large carriers for contractors, crews and equipment. "Middle mile is the step after the implementation is initiated for the consensus Alaska Plan that relates to the last mile costs," said the GVNW filing. "If last mile issues are not adequately addressed for Alaska, any middle mile debate is moot. We provided an update from the nearly completed Alaska Network Services (ANS) analysis that revealed that the cost of extending the middle mile network across Alaska exceeds $2 billion."