The FCC has released its safe harbor disclosure framework under the Open Internet transparency requirements for end user customer disclosures, which take the form of a broadband “label” –not unlike the form of labels used by...more
On March 30, the FCC released an Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking announcing $2 billion in new financial support to rural incumbent telecommunications carriers (so-called rate of return carriers) willing to deploy...more
Late this afternoon the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing new rules governing the privacy practices of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) at its monthly open meeting, which was delayed several times...more
On Wednesday, the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau extended the ongoing exemption from applying the enhanced transparency requirements of the 2015 Open Internet Order to small providers. As a result, small...more
Smaller broadband providers now have an opportunity to convince the FCC to maintain the small provider exemption from the new “enhanced” transparency (disclosure) requirements of the 2015 Open Internet Order. As we explained...more
If you work for a broadband service provider and haven’t recently reviewed your FCC-mandated network management “transparency” disclosures posted on your website, we suggest you make that the next thing you do after reading...more
7/23/2015
/ AT&T Mobility ,
Breach of Contract ,
Broadband ,
Compliance ,
Data Plan ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
FCC ,
Fines ,
Misrepresentation ,
Mobile Devices ,
Open Internet Rules ,
Transparency ,
Unjust Enrichment
Although not yet in effect, broadband providers should begin to consider how best to implement the FCC’s “enhanced” transparency (disclosure) requirements. As explained in our recent advisory, the Order retains the FCC’s 2010...more
The FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (“NAL”) to AT&T for alleged violations of the 2010 Open Internet “transparency rule.” The FCC contends that AT&T “willfully and repeatedly” violated the rule by: (1) using the...more
The FCC’s Open Internet Order (the “Order”) was published in the Federal Register today, Monday, April 13, and, unless the Order is stayed, will become effective after sixty days, on June 12, 2015. Publication in the Federal...more
The Order does not forbear from applying Section 222 of the Act to broadband Internet access service (BIAS) providers. It did, however, forbear from applying its existing rules implementing Section 222, in recognition that...more
December 15 is now set as the deadline by which nearly all cable operators, telecommunications carriers, and many others must respond to an extensive FCC special access data collection, per an Order on Reconsideration...more
On August 19, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau released a public notice establishing the process for applying for support under the Rural Broadband Experiments program. Applications under this program must be submitted...more
On Aug.15, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the FCC’s proposed special access services data collection plan, subject to several modifications that limit the initial scope of the plan. The FCC’s special...more
On July 14, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) released its latest Connect America Fund Order, which sets forth the parameters of its planned “rural broadband experiments” program. As detailed below, the...more
On Friday, July 11, 2014 the FCC adopted an order implementing its planned “Rural Broadband Experiments”—a test-case program for disbursing subsidies to competitive providers that can deploy broadband to unserved areas. Our...more
Phase II of the FCC’s Connect America Fund (“CAF”) program will disburse up to $9 billion in support (i.e., subsidies) over the next five years to price cap incumbent local exchange carriers (“ILECs”). This support will be...more
On Wednesday, June 11, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its long-awaited order establishing a framework for competitors to obtain broadband subsidies (support) through Phase II of the Connect...more
Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took steps to make 150 megahertz of spectrum available for shared broadband use by unanimously approving a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) setting forth...more
In our last post on this topic, we reported on the FCC’s adoption of an order authorizing the use of an additional 100 MHz of unlicensed spectrum for Wi-Fi and related network equipment. Now that the order has been released,...more
Gigabit Wi-Fi services are one step closer to reality following the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to unanimously adopt an order today, March 31, 2014, authorizing use of an additional 100 MHz of...more
Competitive providers deploying broadband networks in rural areas will now be eligible to obtain direct subsidy support from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) through an experimental program under the Connect...more
As we recently reported, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) “IP Transition Order” includes an experiment designed to test the feasibility of directing Connect America Fund (CAF) subsidies to competitive providers...more
As explained in our recent PrivSec blog post, on Dec. 11, 2013, a coalition of privacy advocates led by Public Knowledge filed a Petition for Declaratory Ruling with the FCC that, if granted, would significantly expand the...more
The FCC recently announced that respondents to the Commission’s “urban rate survey” must complete survey responses no later than Jan. 17, 2014. The urban rate survey is an FCC initiative to collect information of fixed voice...more
A recent FCC enforcement order signals the agency’s apparent intent to impose increasingly greater penalties on broadband providers using devices in unlicensed spectrum bands which interfere with other wireless systems....more