T-Mobile Confesses To Violating FCC Rural Call Completion Rules

T-Mobile Confesses To Violating FCC Rural Call Completion Rules

Tony Veach
Rural Call Completion

T-Mobile USA, Inc., has entered into a consent decree with the Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau, ending an investigation into whether T-Mobile violated the FCC’s rural call completion rules. Under the terms of the settlement, T-Mobile must pay a $40 million civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury, and must follow a compliance plan designed to ensure T-Mobile obeys the FCC’s rural call completion rules in the future. The Enforcement Bureau also required T-Mobile to admit that it: (1) violated Section 64.2201 of the FCC’s rules prohibiting the insertion of false ring tones; and (2) did not correct problems with its Intermediate Providers’ delivery of calls to consumers in certain rural areas.

Red Scare: FCC To Blacklist Equipment Providers That Present National Security Threat – Proposed Rule Would Bar Use of Universal Service Funds to Purchase From Blacklisted Companies

Red Scare: FCC To Blacklist Equipment Providers That Present National Security Threat – Proposed Rule Would Bar Use of Universal Service Funds to Purchase From Blacklisted Companies

Tony Veach
Broadband, USF

The FCC has released a draft of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks comment on a rule prohibiting the use of universal service fund support to purchase equipment or services from any communications equipment or service providers identified as posing a national security risk to U.S. communications networks or the communications supply chain. The proposed rule would apply prospectively, and extend to upgrades of existing equipment or services. Comment deadlines will be announced after the NPRM is formally adopted.

Rate-of-Return Operating Expense Limitation Now Includes Inflation Adjustment; FCC Tweaks Corporate Operations Expense Limitation

Rate-of-Return Operating Expense Limitation Now Includes Inflation Adjustment; FCC Tweaks Corporate Operations Expense Limitation

Tony Veach
Broadband, Rate-of-Return, USF

The Federal Communications Commission has released a Report and Order, Third Order on Reconsideration, and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that continue its efforts to reform the high-cost universal service fund rules that apply to rate-of-return incumbent local exchange carriers. In the Third Order on Reconsideration, the FCC, among other things, revises the formula for calculating a rate-of-return carrier’s operations expense limitation to include an inflationary factor, and makes a revision to its rules to include broadband-only loops when calculating a rate-of-return carrier’s corporate operations expense limitation.

FCC Provides Temporary Relief From Budget Control Mechanism – Will Fully Fund Legacy Rate-of-Return Carrier July 2017 – June 2018 Support Claims

FCC Provides Temporary Relief From Budget Control Mechanism – Will Fully Fund Legacy Rate-of-Return Carrier July 2017 – June 2018 Support Claims

Tony Veach
Broadband, USF, Rate-of-Return

The Federal Communications Commission has released a Report and Order, Third Order on Reconsideration, and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that continue the FCC’s efforts to reform the high-cost universal service fund support mechanism rules that apply to rate-of-return carriers. In the Third Order on Reconsideration, the FCC has taken action to mitigate the negative effects of the budget control mechanism by fully funding legacy carrier support claims for the July 2017 – June 2018 time period.

New FCC Rules Outline Which Expenses May Be Recovered Through High-Cost USF Support

New FCC Rules Outline Which Expenses May Be Recovered Through High-Cost USF Support

Tony Veach
Broadband, USF

The FCC has released a Report and Order, Third Order on Reconsideration, and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that continue the FCC’s efforts to reform the high-cost universal service fund support mechanism rules that apply to rate-of-return carriers. The Report and Order contains new rules explicitly prohibiting the use of federal high-cost support for expenses that are not used for the provision, maintenance, and upgrading of facilities and services for which support is intended.

FCC Provides More Funding For A-CAM Carriers

FCC Provides More Funding For A-CAM Carriers

Tony Veach
Broadband, USF

The Federal Communications Commission has released a Report and Order, Third Order on Reconsideration, and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that continue the FCC’s efforts to reform the high-cost universal service fund support mechanism rules that apply to rate-of-return carriers. In the Report and Order, the FCC has decided to increase funding for the Alternative Connect America Cost Model, so that all locations with costs above $52.50 per location will be funded up to a per-location cap of $146.10.

Texas Court Rejects ISP’s Attempt to Dismiss Copyright Infringement Lawsuit – Grande Communications is Latest Broadband Provider Entangled in DMCA Litigation

Texas Court Rejects ISP’s Attempt to Dismiss Copyright Infringement Lawsuit – Grande Communications is Latest Broadband Provider Entangled in DMCA Litigation

Tony Veach
DMCA, Broadband, Copyright, ISPs

A Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, has issued a report and recommendation that rules on two motions to dismiss in UMG Recordings, Inc., et al., v. Grande Communications Networks, LLC, and Patriot Media Consulting, LLC. The case concerns a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by a vast group of owners of copyrighted music against Grande Communications, an Internet service provider located in Texas. Grande’s consultant is also named as a defendant in the suit. The pleadings and the Magistrate’s report address many of the same Digital Millennium Copyright Act issues involved in the Fourth Circuit’s recent decision in BMG v. Cox Communications.

Another Broadband Provider Battles DMCA Lawsuit - UMG Recordings v. Grande Communications

Another Broadband Provider Battles DMCA Lawsuit - UMG Recordings v. Grande Communications

Tony Veach
DMCA, Broadband, Copyright

Another Internet service provider is embroiled in a DMCA-related copyright infringement lawsuit brought by content owners and their copyright hitman Rightscorp. And, there is a neat twist to this lawsuit – the broadband provider’s consultant was also named as a defendant. The case is UMG Recordings, Inc., et al., v. Grande Communications Networks, LLC, and Patriot Media Consulting, LLC, and a U.S. Magistrate Judge recently issued a report and recommendation ruling on the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The pleadings and the Magistrate’s report address many of the same issues involved in the Fourth Circuit’s recent decision in BMG v. Cox Communications.

Following Fourth Circuit Decision in BMG v. Cox, Rightscorp Issues Warning to Every ISP in The U.S.

Following Fourth Circuit Decision in BMG v. Cox, Rightscorp Issues Warning to Every ISP in The U.S.

Tony Veach
DMCA, Copyright, Broadband, ISPs

Rightscorp, Inc. has issued a press release commenting on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision in BMG v Cox Communications, in which the Court affirmed a district court ruling that Cox is not entitled to a DMCA safe harbor defense but remanded the case for a new trial due to erroneous jury instructions. Rightscorp played an important part in the case, acting as BMG’s copyright enforcement agent and providing much of the evidence that doomed Cox. Rightscorp’s press release warns ISPs of a vast amount of data documenting infringements.

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