All in Wireline
The Federal Communications Commission’s residential 24 hour backup power requirement becomes effective February 13, 2019. The rule requires providers of facilities-based, fixed residential voice services that are not line powered to offer subscribers, at the point of sale, the option to purchase a backup power solution that provides consumers with at least 24 hours of standby power during a commercial power outage.
The Federal Communications Commission has released a Report and Order and Waiver that extends the existing freeze on jurisdictional separations for up to another six years. During this time, the Commission and the Joint Board will focus on substantive, incremental reform. As a first step in this process, rate-of-return carriers that elected to freeze their separations category relationships in 2001 will be allowed to opt out of that freeze.
The Federal Communications Commission has determined that an exclusive license to provide telecommunications services granted by the state of Hawaii to Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc. violates Section 253(a) of the Communications Act, and as a result, has preempted enforcement of the license.
The FCC has approved the National Exchange Carrier Association’s modifications to the formula that will be used to calculate universal service high-cost loop support for average schedule rate-of-return carriers. The new HCLS average schedule formula – in effect from July 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016 – produces a 3.4 percent decrease in HCLS for average schedule study areas which is due to the decrease from 11.25 percent to 11 percent in the prescribed interstate rate of return.
The FCC has imposed a $1.44 million forfeiture against interexchange carrier Preferred Long Distance, Inc. for violating the FCC’s slamming rules. Preferred LD changed the long distance telephone carriers of 14 consumers without proper authorization, including by having telemarketers engage in misrepresentation.
