Parties skirmished over the business data service market and regulation, as comments were due Tuesday in the FCC BDS proceeding in docket 16-143. ILECs and their allies urged the commission to recognize the BDS market is competitive and reduce regulation, while rivals and other critics said the agency should fix what they see as a broken marketplace. AT&T also panned what it said was the supposed "compromise" between Incompas and Verizon, which it called a "sometimes ILEC."

Parties skirmished over the business data service market and regulation, as comments were due Tuesday in the FCC BDS proceeding in docket 16-143. ILECs and their allies urged the commission to recognize the BDS market is competitive and reduce regulation, while rivals and other critics said the agency should fix what they see as a broken marketplace. AT&T also panned what it said was the supposed "compromise" between Incompas and Verizon, which it called a "sometimes ILEC."

Incompas and Verizon suggested a new framework for streamlining FCC treatment of business data services (BDS), also called special access services. In a joint letter to the FCC Monday in docket 16-143, Incompas and Verizon proposed creating three tiers of BDS offerings based on their data speeds, with the lowest tier (below no lower than 50 Mbps) deemed noncompetitive and subject to regulation, the highest tier (above 1 Gbps) deemed competitive and not subject to regulation, and the middle tier subject to commission review by census blocks. CenturyLink and NCTA criticized the proposal. Meanwhile, an NCTA blog suggested the BDS proceeding could "backfire and slow the deployment of 5G" unless the commission changes course.

Incompas and Verizon suggested a new framework for streamlining FCC treatment of business data services (BDS), also called special access services. In a joint letter to the FCC Monday in docket 16-143, Incompas and Verizon proposed creating three tiers of BDS offerings based on their data speeds, with the lowest tier (below no lower than 50 Mbps) deemed noncompetitive and subject to regulation, the highest tier (above 1 Gbps) deemed competitive and not subject to regulation, and the middle tier subject to commission review by census blocks. CenturyLink and NCTA criticized the proposal. Meanwhile, an NCTA blog suggested the BDS proceeding could "backfire and slow the deployment of 5G" unless the commission changes course.

His office will “sit down with all the players” this week to discuss the pay-TV backed compromise set-top proposal (see 1606160059), Chairman Tom Wheeler said Friday at a news conference after commissioners' meeting. The commission needs to understand the pay-TV proposal before it can decide how to react, Wheeler said. In a later news conference by the Republican FCC commissioners, Mike O’Rielly said “there was a lot to like” about the pay-TV proposal, and he hoped this week’s meetings wouldn’t be a discussion of “how to mangle it.”

His office will “sit down with all the players” this week to discuss the pay-TV backed compromise set-top proposal (see 1606160059), Chairman Tom Wheeler said Friday at a news conference after commissioners' meeting. The commission needs to understand the pay-TV proposal before it can decide how to react, Wheeler said. In a later news conference by the Republican FCC commissioners, Mike O’Rielly said “there was a lot to like” about the pay-TV proposal, and he hoped this week’s meetings wouldn’t be a discussion of “how to mangle it.”

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., already is eyeing a likely fall pay-TV hearing to springboard off of Thursday’s first Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) hearing on its ongoing pay-TV investigation, she told reporters, doubting legislation will be the primary outcome but devoted to more learning. Thursday’s hearing focused on billing line items and how consumers go about negotiating with pay-TV company representatives, specifically targeting overcharging practices of Charter Communications and the now Charter-owned TWC, but McCaskill’s appetite wasn't satisfied.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., already is eyeing a likely fall pay-TV hearing to springboard off of Thursday’s first Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) hearing on its ongoing pay-TV investigation, she told reporters, doubting legislation will be the primary outcome but devoted to more learning. Thursday’s hearing focused on billing line items and how consumers go about negotiating with pay-TV company representatives, specifically targeting overcharging practices of Charter Communications and the now Charter-owned TWC, but McCaskill’s appetite wasn't satisfied.

The FCC should take care that its efforts to stimulate third party retail set-top box competition don't interfere with ongoing video standards-making proceedings, said Microsoft in a meeting Tuesday with Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake and bureau staff. “It is important for the Commission to be aware of these developments and to ensure that any steps it contemplates taking in this proceeding do not adversely affect these industry efforts.” Time Warner executives met with Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel on set-top matters Monday, arguing against the FCC proposal. “It is feasible to increase competition and consumer choice through a regulatory regime based on content companies having a direct licensing relationship with device manufacturers, traditional distributors, and online platforms,” Time Warner said. The filings were made in docket 16-42. Pay-TV companies just made an alternate proposal for an HTML5-based unlock the box approach (see 1606160059), rather than the apps approach the industry has backed and the alternative device tack included in the agency's proposal. CEO Chip Pickering of Incompas, which is part of a coalition of tech and other interests allied with the FCC approach, called it "encouraging" that the cable industry made the proffer. "Their current proposal presents both some positive movement and some familiar limitations that could fall short of delivering an open, competitive marketplace," he said Thursday.

The FCC should take care that its efforts to stimulate third party retail set-top box competition don't interfere with ongoing video standards-making proceedings, said Microsoft in a meeting Tuesday with Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake and bureau staff. “It is important for the Commission to be aware of these developments and to ensure that any steps it contemplates taking in this proceeding do not adversely affect these industry efforts.” Time Warner executives met with Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel on set-top matters Monday, arguing against the FCC proposal. “It is feasible to increase competition and consumer choice through a regulatory regime based on content companies having a direct licensing relationship with device manufacturers, traditional distributors, and online platforms,” Time Warner said. The filings were made in docket 16-42. Pay-TV companies just made an alternate proposal for an HTML5-based unlock the box approach (see 1606160059), rather than the apps approach the industry has backed and the alternative device tack included in the agency's proposal. CEO Chip Pickering of Incompas, which is part of a coalition of tech and other interests allied with the FCC approach, called it "encouraging" that the cable industry made the proffer. "Their current proposal presents both some positive movement and some familiar limitations that could fall short of delivering an open, competitive marketplace," he said Thursday.