The FCC defended its rulemaking on interexchange carrier compensation rules and access stimulation in a brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Great Lakes consolidated case 19-1233 (see 1911200061). Petitioners "engaged in and profited from access stimulation schemes" that the commission's rules now prohibit, the brief said. The FCC argued "substantial evidence" supports the new rules and alternate tests for access stimulation are reasonable.
The FCC Wireline Bureau issued a report to Congress Tuesday on efforts to implement caller ID authentication, noting seven voice service providers were granted exemptions from Stir/Shaken requirements (see 2012230040). Voice service providers must implement secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) and signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) in the IP portions of their networks and implement caller ID authentication framework in the non-IP portions by June 30. The bureau said equipment availability may be an issue with the deployment of Stir/Shaken, likely affecting smaller providers. The report also noted standards bodies are working on "non-IP caller ID authentication solutions," although there's not an industry consensus.
ILECs and broadband advocates want a stronger FCC vetting process for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund II bidders. Several companies won billions of dollars during the RDOF Phase I auction to deploy services they may be unable to provide (see 2012070039), stakeholders said in recent interviews.
ILECs and broadband advocates want a stronger FCC vetting process for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund II bidders. Several companies won billions of dollars during the RDOF Phase I auction to deploy services they may be unable to provide (see 2012070039), stakeholders said in recent interviews.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied the National Lifeline Association's petition for review of the FCC Wireline Bureau's revisions to the Lifeline program’s non-usage rules, said a ruling Tuesday. The same court last month denied NaLA's request for an emergency stay of the minimum services standard increase to 4.5 GB monthly (see 2011300069).
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied the National Lifeline Association's petition for review of the FCC Wireline Bureau's revisions to the Lifeline program’s non-usage rules, said a ruling Tuesday. The same court last month denied NaLA's request for an emergency stay of the minimum services standard increase to 4.5 GB monthly (see 2011300069).
The FCC Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee OK'd recommendations from the Increasing Broadband Investment in Low-Income Communities working group Thursday (see 2010290057). The delayed report met with mixed reactions.
The FCC Hospital Robocall Protection Group OK'd best practices for service providers and healthcare facilities to combat illegal robocalls and spoofing Monday. Recommendations for service providers include implementing secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) and signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) on IP portions of networks, prioritizing support for hospitals, and establishing notification protocols for robocall events. HRPG recommended hospitals establish a process to identify a robocall problem and coordinate with providers and law enforcement, consider joining threat intelligence and information sharing organizations, and consider implementing available robocall-blocking capabilities. Enforcement Bureau Telecom Consumers Division Chief Kristi Thompson recommended further implementation of blocking and labeling tools throughout hospital networks. Thompson recommended establishing safe harbors to incentivize increased call blocking and cooperation with trace-back requests. HRPG Chair Dave Summitt emphasized the need for these recommendations, citing recent Social Security spam calls at his employer, Moffitt Cancer Center. “In a four-day period, we totaled over 45,000 of these calls hitting our infrastructure,” Summitt said. Commissioner Brendan Carr abstained from the vote, saying he will wait to cast an official vote in case any of the recommendations are brought before the full commission. Earlier Monday, the FCC approved an order clarifying that government contractors must obtain consumer consent before making robocalls (see 2012140028).
The FCC Hospital Robocall Protection Group OK'd best practices for service providers and healthcare facilities to combat illegal robocalls and spoofing Monday. Recommendations for service providers include implementing secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) and signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) on IP portions of networks, prioritizing support for hospitals, and establishing notification protocols for robocall events. HRPG recommended hospitals establish a process to identify a robocall problem and coordinate with providers and law enforcement, consider joining threat intelligence and information sharing organizations, and consider implementing available robocall-blocking capabilities. Enforcement Bureau Telecom Consumers Division Chief Kristi Thompson recommended further implementation of blocking and labeling tools throughout hospital networks. Thompson recommended establishing safe harbors to incentivize increased call blocking and cooperation with trace-back requests. HRPG Chair Dave Summitt emphasized the need for these recommendations, citing recent Social Security spam calls at his employer, Moffitt Cancer Center. “In a four-day period, we totaled over 45,000 of these calls hitting our infrastructure,” Summitt said. Commissioner Brendan Carr abstained from the vote, saying he will wait to cast an official vote in case any of the recommendations are brought before the full commission. Earlier Monday, the FCC approved an order clarifying that government contractors must obtain consumer consent before making robocalls (see 2012140028).
President-elect Joe Biden's incoming administration should soon nominate an FCC chair willing to rein in costs for inmate calling services, advocates for ICS rate cuts and other changes said in recent interviews. The Biden administration is in a “really good position to get across the finish line” because of a past NPRM on rate caps, said United Church of Christ Office of Communication's Cheryl Leanza. “That puts them ahead of the game.”