We are pleased to announce Telecom Law Monitor, your guide to enforcement-related news, events and trends within the telecommunications field. From the FCC to the FTC, to State PUCs and AGs, to private litigation, we cover USF enforcement, truth-in-billing rules, Do-Not-Call developments, CPNI actions, access charge litigation, prepaid card enforcement actions and other related developments. The blog provides two-click access to enforcement websites and relevant statutes and rules. You can add the Blog link to your browser favorites and then use it to find the FCC, FTC, State PUC, State AG and many other websites quickly and efficiently.
You can access a selection of our most recent posts below. To make sure you get future posts, click here add Telecom Law Monitor to your RSS reader, or email sminkoff@kelleydrye.com to receive new blog posts via e-mail.
Congress Investigates Rural LEC "Traffic Pumping" Posted on February 19, 2010 by Danny Adams The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has sent a February 16, 2010 letter to 24 rural local exchange carriers seeking information about their access charge services. The 24 carriers receiving the letters were chosen on the basis of responses to earlier letters sent to long distance carriers who complained of "traffic pumping" by some rural LECs. The Congressional letter expresses concern that "excessive rates for terminating access" will harm rural consumers because interexchange carriers will refuse to send traffic to those locations. Continue Reading...
FCC Petitioned in Access Charge Litigation Posted on February 18, 2010 by Danny Adams Beehive Telephone has Petitioned the FCC for a declaratory ruling in an effort to salvage a lawsuit that Beehive brought against Sprint in federal court for collection of access charges. According to the Petition, Sprint refused to pay Beehive's access invoices because Sprint believes they are the product of unlawful "traffic stimulation" by Beehive and a conference bridge provider. In March 2008, Beehive filed an informal complaint with the FCC seeking a finding that Sprint's refusal to pay is an unlawful practice under Section 201 of the Communications Act. Continue Reading...
Enforcement Bureau Settles Outage Reporting Investigations Posted on February 15, 2010 by Steve Augustino While the rest of the Enforcement Bureau has not yet fully emerged from the FCC transition, the Spectrum Enforcement Division continues to move investigations along. Last month, the division fined several wireless carriers for failing to file hearing aid compatibility reports. Yesterday, the division settled two outage reporting investigations involving wireless carriers. In both cases, the carriers were alleged to have failed to report outages within the 120 minute deadline. Continue Reading...
Snow Closes FCC for 4th Day Posted on February 11, 2010 by Steve Augustino The DC area has been hit with back to back snowstorms since February 5, causing the FCC to close for four straight days. This is the first time I can remember the FCC being closed for such a long time period. We are starting to see the impact of the closure. The FCC's open meeting originally scheduled for today has been postponed a week, to February 18th. Continue Reading...
FCC Seeks Comment on Two USF Appeals Posted on January 19, 2010 by Steve Augustino Continuing its recent custom, the FCC quickly sought comment on two Universal Service Appeals. The issues involved in these appeals include classification of information services, classification of reseller revenues and identification of subscriber line charge (SLC) revenues. Carriers offering similar services take note. Continue Reading...
Court of Appeals Upholds FCC on
ISP-Bound Calls Posted on January 13, 2010 by Danny Adams The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has upheld the FCC's November 5, 2008 ruling continuing the rate cap on CLEC intercarrier charges for dial-up Internet calls. In Core Communications v. FCC, decided January 12, 2009, the Court found "no legal error in the Commission's analysis" and thus affirmed the agency's decision. This ruling presumably ends a protracted set of challenges and judicial examinations of the FCC's efforts to limit CLEC charges for receiving ISP bound calls. Continue Reading...
Comcast, Net Neutrality and the Universal Service Fund Posted on January 9, 2010 by Steve Augustino Yesterday, the DC Circuit held oral argument on Comcast's appeal of the FCC's ruling that Comcast ilegally blocked P2P traffic in its broadband Internet service. By all accounts, the argument went poorly for the FCC. If the FCC indeed loses the case, it could have implications for enforcement of federal Universal Service Fund (USF) contribution obligations too Continue reading…
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