Six telcos called on the FCC to strike "flawed" cable industry data from the record in the business data service proceeding aimed at overhauling its special access framework. The FCC should also remove the report of its consultant, Marc Rysman, and other studies that were based on the data, and rescind those portions of a Further NPRM that relied on the data and analyses, said AT&T, CenturyLink, Cincinnati Bell, Consolidated Communications, FairPoint Communications and Frontier Communications, in a motion Friday in docket 16-143.

Six telcos called on the FCC to strike "flawed" cable industry data from the record in the business data service proceeding aimed at overhauling its special access framework. The FCC should also remove the report of its consultant, Marc Rysman, and other studies that were based on the data, and rescind those portions of a Further NPRM that relied on the data and analyses, said AT&T, CenturyLink, Cincinnati Bell, Consolidated Communications, FairPoint Communications and Frontier Communications, in a motion Friday in docket 16-143.

Opponents of the FCC net neutrality order face an uphill appellate battle, commission supporters told us Wednesday. A day earlier, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the order that reclassified broadband as a Title II telecom service under the Communications Act (see 1606140023). The stakeholders doubted a potential appeal to the Supreme Court would be successful and were even more dubious about the prospects of an en banc appeal to the D.C. Circuit, adding to appellate skepticism expressed by others on both sides of the battle Tuesday (see 1606140040).

Opponents of the FCC net neutrality order face an uphill appellate battle, commission supporters told us Wednesday. A day earlier, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the order that reclassified broadband as a Title II telecom service under the Communications Act (see 1606140023). The stakeholders doubted a potential appeal to the Supreme Court would be successful and were even more dubious about the prospects of an en banc appeal to the D.C. Circuit, adding to appellate skepticism expressed by others on both sides of the battle Tuesday (see 1606140040).

The Consumer Video Choice Coalition supports an FTC-suggested proposal to address privacy concerns about the FCC’s set-top box proceeding by requiring third-party box makers to promise consumers they will abide by the same privacy rules as the pay-TV industry, said an ex parte filing posted Friday. Officials from CVCC member entities Google, Hauppauge, Incompas, Public Knowledge and TiVo announced their support of the plan in a Tuesday meeting with the FCC Chief Technologist Scott Jordan and staff from the Office of General Counsel and Media Bureau, the filing said. The FTC proposal would require the third-party box makers to certify they have promised consumers to respect their privacy, allowing the FTC to enforce that promise under its mandate to prevent companies from engaging in defensive practices. Certification could also keep third parties from altering channel placement, the filing said. “The Coalition representatives also affirmed that a two-year time frame as provided for in the NPRM is appropriate for developing open standards solution(s) in accordance with the proposed rules.”

The Consumer Video Choice Coalition supports an FTC-suggested proposal to address privacy concerns about the FCC’s set-top box proceeding by requiring third-party box makers to promise consumers they will abide by the same privacy rules as the pay-TV industry, said an ex parte filing posted Friday. Officials from CVCC member entities Google, Hauppauge, Incompas, Public Knowledge and TiVo announced their support of the plan in a Tuesday meeting with the FCC Chief Technologist Scott Jordan and staff from the Office of General Counsel and Media Bureau, the filing said. The FTC proposal would require the third-party box makers to certify they have promised consumers to respect their privacy, allowing the FTC to enforce that promise under its mandate to prevent companies from engaging in defensive practices. Certification could also keep third parties from altering channel placement, the filing said. “The Coalition representatives also affirmed that a two-year time frame as provided for in the NPRM is appropriate for developing open standards solution(s) in accordance with the proposed rules.”

A group of Capitol Hill Democrats defended the FCC set-top box rulemaking Thursday during a news conference featuring multiple officials affiliated with the Consumer Video Choice Coalition. Opponents of the NPRM, including the Future of TV Coalition, have been outspoken in recent weeks, with Democrats and Republicans outlining concerns and calling for pause.

A group of Capitol Hill Democrats defended the FCC set-top box rulemaking Thursday during a news conference featuring multiple officials affiliated with the Consumer Video Choice Coalition. Opponents of the NPRM, including the Future of TV Coalition, have been outspoken in recent weeks, with Democrats and Republicans outlining concerns and calling for pause.

DALLAS -- The FCC approach under Chairman Tom Wheeler to competition was attacked as a Telecommunications Industry Association conference was drawing to a close Wednesday. In what TIA CEO Scott Belcher billed as the only time the policy chiefs of the big three ISPs gathered on one stage simultaneously, two of those executives, from AT&T and Comcast, had harsh words for a variety of competition-related rules. And the third ISP policy chief, from Verizon, said Washington gets it wrong on some broadband customer take-up issues.

DALLAS -- The FCC approach under Chairman Tom Wheeler to competition was attacked as a Telecommunications Industry Association conference was drawing to a close Wednesday. In what TIA CEO Scott Belcher billed as the only time the policy chiefs of the big three ISPs gathered on one stage simultaneously, two of those executives, from AT&T and Comcast, had harsh words for a variety of competition-related rules. And the third ISP policy chief, from Verizon, said Washington gets it wrong on some broadband customer take-up issues.