Verizon asked the Maryland Public Service Commission to delay a preliminary hearing in an inquiry into Verizon’s repair service by a week, saying it hasn’t been given enough time to prepare, but the PSC apparently won’t grant the delay. Verizon said it was notified just before close of business Friday afternoon of the hearing scheduled Wednesday and was told to produce extensive repair service records. Verizon said two business days was an unreasonably short time to locate documents and prepare for a hearing, particularly since the commission normally grants at least 10 business days for document filings and preliminary hearings. Verizon asked to file its documents Aug. 13 and the hearing on Aug. 14. But a PSC spokesman Tuesday said the agency intended to go ahead with today’s hearing and expected Verizon to appear with whatever information it’s been able to put together.
The International Trade Administration has initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations to determine whether imports of certain new pneumatic off-the-road tires from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value and/or whether there is a reasonable indication that imports of subject merchandise are materially injuring, or threatening material injury to, a U.S. industry, respectively.
The International Trade Administration has issued its final results of the antidumping duty administrative review of stainless steel bar from the United Kingdom for the period of March 1, 2005 through February 28, 2006.
Inter-Tel stockholders approved acquisition by Mitel last week. The deal, worth $723 million, was approved by a majority of about 60 percent. The companies expect to complete the merger within a week after an Aug. 8 hearing in the Delaware Court of Chancery concerning an Inter-Tel stockholder’s motion for preliminary injunction against the merger over the sale procedure, a Mitel spokesman said.
The North Carolina House pulled the teeth from a municipal broadband bill that originally would have imposed strict requirements on municipalities seeking to provide telecom services, instead passing a bill that called for a municipal broadband study. The original restrictive language of HB-1587 would have required municipalities to demonstrate that their projects would start showing positive cash flow in a time frame consistent with private-enterprise projects, and would have imposed extensive procedural requirements for local approval of projects. The House Finance Committee deleted the restrictive mandates and substituted a call for the Joint Legislative Utility Review Committee to commission a two-year study of municipal broadband projects in operation around the country, to determine costs, benefits, performance and effects on private enterprise. The House passed the substitute. There would be a preliminary report to the 2008 legislature and a final report with legislative recommendations to the 2009 legislature. Municipal interests fought against the original measure while major telecom providers supported the restrictions. The much-weakened bill now goes to the Senate.
The North Carolina House pulled the teeth from a municipal broadband bill that originally would have imposed strict requirements on municipalities seeking to provide telecom services, instead passing a bill that called for a municipal broadband study. The original restrictive language of HB-1587 would have required municipalities to demonstrate that their projects would start showing positive cash flow in a time frame consistent with private-enterprise projects, and would have imposed extensive procedural requirements for local approval of projects. The House Finance Committee deleted the restrictive mandates and substituted a call for the Joint Legislative Utility Review Committee to commission a two-year study of municipal broadband projects in operation around the country, to determine costs, benefits, performance and effects on private enterprise. The House passed the substitute. There would be a preliminary report to the 2008 legislature and a final report with legislative recommendations to the 2009 legislature. Municipal interests fought against the original measure while major telecom providers supported the restrictions. The much-weakened bill now goes to the Senate.
The International Trade Administration has issued its final results of the antidumping duty administrative review of stainless steel bar from Spain for the period of March 1, 2005 through February 28, 2006.
The International Trade Administration has issued its final results of the antidumping duty administrative and new shipper reviews of brake rotors from China for the period of April 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006.
The Commerce Department's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) has posted to its Web site the monthly reports containing official May 2007 trade data from the Department of Census for imports and exports of textiles and apparel:
The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology released late Tuesday preliminary reports on tests of the interference risk posed by devices designed to provide wireless broadband in TV band white spaces. The commission tested prototype devices, acknowledging that they don’t “necessarily represent the full capabilities” that may be developed. Those who support and oppose the use of unlicensed devices in the white spaces were studying the reports at our deadline.