Comments are due April 24, replies May 11 on The Compliance Group’s Jan. 27 petition for a declaratory ruling to clarify the exemption for systems integrators from USF contribution obligations, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice Tuesday. It said Compliance wants a clarification on whether the exemption applies to the resale or provision of interconnected VoIP when resold or provisioned by a systems integrator.
Transparency within the House Commerce Committee and at the FCC emerged as the key divisive issue Thursday as FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler took on his third hearing this week. Democrats blasted Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., for what they said was a partisan FCC reauthorization draft bill designed to freeze funding at the agency for four years. Republicans harangued the FCC for its process and transparency practices.
Transparency within the House Commerce Committee and at the FCC emerged as the key divisive issue Thursday as FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler took on his third hearing this week. Democrats blasted Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., for what they said was a partisan FCC reauthorization draft bill designed to freeze funding at the agency for four years. Republicans harangued the FCC for its process and transparency practices.
The FCC assertion that Chairman Tom Wheeler’s draft net neutrality order would impose no taxes or fees was disputed Friday by Commissioner Ajit Pai, who claimed in a statement it “explicitly opens the door to billions of dollars in new taxes on broadband.” An economist also claimed in a Forbes op-ed that the plan would lead to at least $500 million in federal fees and potentially more in state charges. An FCC spokesman Friday stood by a Wednesday fact sheet’s assertion, telling us the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) applies to broadband, even at the state and federal level.
The FCC assertion that Chairman Tom Wheeler’s draft net neutrality order would impose no taxes or fees was disputed Friday by Commissioner Ajit Pai, who claimed in a statement it “explicitly opens the door to billions of dollars in new taxes on broadband.” An economist also claimed in a Forbes op-ed that the plan would lead to at least $500 million in federal fees and potentially more in state charges. An FCC spokesman Friday stood by a Wednesday fact sheet’s assertion, telling us the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) applies to broadband, even at the state and federal level.
The FCC portrayed the reclassification of broadband in Chairman Tom Wheeler’s net neutrality proposal as a modernized Title II. But pledges from senior agency officials not to impose traditional Communications Act common-carriage regulations like rate regulation didn't ease the concerns of reclassification’s opponents.
Proposed new net neutrality rules based on classifying the Internet as a Title II utility under the Communications Act look like they'll disproportionately burden smaller cable operators and leave cable ISPs open to blocking by leaving out edge providers and content companies, officials at several cable companies and American Cable Association President Matt Polka said in interviews Wednesday. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler indicated in unveiling some details of the draft net neutrality order that day that forbearance will relieve many of the more burdensome aspects of Title II regulation (see 1502040055). But Polka said that might not immediately alleviate the rule's effect on cable operators. It also remains unclear how Title II rules will affect satellite broadband providers, industry officials said.
Proposed new net neutrality rules based on classifying the Internet as a Title II utility under the Communications Act look like they'll disproportionately burden smaller cable operators and leave cable ISPs open to blocking by leaving out edge providers and content companies, officials at several cable companies and American Cable Association President Matt Polka said in interviews Wednesday. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler indicated in unveiling some details of the draft net neutrality order that day that forbearance will relieve many of the more burdensome aspects of Title II regulation (see 1502040055). But Polka said that might not immediately alleviate the rule's effect on cable operators. It also remains unclear how Title II rules will affect satellite broadband providers, industry officials said.
The FCC portrayed the reclassification of broadband in Chairman Tom Wheeler’s net neutrality proposal as a modernized Title II. But pledges from senior agency officials not to impose traditional Communications Act common-carriage regulations like rate regulation didn't ease the concerns of reclassification’s opponents.
Though widely considered to be a likely supporter of the Communications Act Title II net neutrality approach FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is expected to unveil later this week, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said in an interview that she wants to make sure “everyone is able to point to something in the order that benefits them.” By that, Clyburn, who acknowledged she backed Title II in the 2010 net neutrality order, said she doesn’t want only the “well-heeled” to benefit, and wants the commission to maintain a regulatory backstop if needed. She also doesn't want to damage the continued deployment of broadband, Clyburn told us Friday.