FCC action on several petitions for reconsideration of the FCC’s ...
FCC action on several petitions for reconsideration of the FCC’s Triennial Review Order could occur soon, FCC Chief of Staff Bryan Tramont said late Fri. at the FCBA’s annual seminar in Cambridge, Md. Tramont said proposed FCC action on…
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the petitions will begin circulating among commissioners on the 8th floor “in the next few days.” Among those teed up: Petitions seeking clarification of the TRO’s effect on multiple dwelling units (MDU), he said. NTIA recently urged the FCC to clarify definitions in its fiber-to-the-home rules for residential multi-unit premises (CD May 3 p6). Tramont answered a wide range of questions submitted ahead of time by FCBA members: (1) Asked if he thought “it’s time to rewrite the Telecom Act,” Tramont said it’s time to at least think about it and “we're thinking about it internally.” There’s “a lot of pressure” on the current regulatory scheme from new technology, he said. (2) The broadband over powerline proceeding will likely be done in early fall, he said. “NTIA filed data last week and we'll look at that. Our hope is to bring the rulemaking to a close in the Sept. timeframe.” (3) On industry efforts to negotiate commercial interconnection agreements, it’s “troubling” that state regulators might “reopen” those negotiated agreements: “In a world in which you're trying to drive commercial negotiations, the idea that somehow [an agreement] would only be the opening bid that states might reopen is a troubling one. So that gives cause for pause.” (4) Indecency complaints have risen from 240,000 in 2003 to 550,000 so far this year. The concern about indecency is “grass roots driven, so we have an obligation to respond [but] the line drawing is a challenge to us It’s a difficult exercise.” (5) The FCC’s Spectrum Policy Task Force is “entering a 2nd stage in which it’s starting to look at what else needs to be done,” he said. “In about a month they will have some recommendations that go to the commercial space as well as the govt. side.” (6) The FCC is still planning to wait for an industry consensus plan to emerge before acting on intercarrier compensation, he said. If it appears consensus will take “dramatically more time than anticipated we're prepared to move forward,” he said. However, the agency’s preference is to get an industry proposal, Tramont said.