The FCC will consider 2 high-profile items—intercarrier compen...

The FCC will consider 2 high-profile items -- intercarrier compensation for telecom carriers and DTV must-carry for cable -- at the Feb. 10 agenda meeting. As expected, the Commission will open a rulemaking to consider various proposals for reforming the intercarrier compensation regime and will vote on an order dealing with a number of outstanding issues such as Sprint’s rating and routing petition and T-Mobile’s petition on ILEC wireless termination tariffs. On DTV must-carry, the FCC is expected to reject broadcasters’ request that cable carry all their DTV signals. Also on the agenda: (1) The agency will launch a rulemaking on the use of “white spaces” in the 900 MHz business and industrial land transportation pool. The Wireless Broadband Access Task Force will also report on its findings and recommendations relating to the Commission’s wireless broadband policies. (2) Petitions for reconsideration of the national do-not- call registry and related rules. (3) Mandatory exchange of customer account information among local and interexchange carriers. (4) What ILECs charge for changing subscribers’ presubscribed interexchange carriers. (5) An application for review filed by Sinclair Bcst. regarding a decision by the Media Bureau dismissing applications by Sinclair to acquire TV stations from licensee subsidiaries of Cunningham Bcstg. (6) A review of the International Bureau’s 2003 decision to grant Mobile Satellite Ventures authority for an Ancillary Terrestrial Component. Legg Mason analysts don’t expect the Commission to backtrack from IB’s position or loosen the so-called gating factors designed to ensure that the satellite licensees’ terrestrial spectrum use is truly ancillary to a functioning satellite system.