Any tech standards that comply with FCC-proposed rules for third-party set-top boxes should “provide for competitive interoperability across all" multichannel video programming distributor systems, said officials from the Computer & Communications Industry Association, Google, Hauppauge, Incompas, Public Knowledge and TiVo, representing the Consumer Video Choice Coalition in a meeting Tuesday with Media Bureau staff and FCC Chief Technology Officer Scott Jordan, said an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 16-42. The CVCC representatives said device provider certifications are a “feasible” way to “affirm adherence” to rules on privacy, emergency alerting and children's programming. The FCC should act on a pending petition to reinstate encoding rules, the CVCC said. The FCC shouldn't wait for the completion of a diversity study to change the set-top rules, said GFNTV, National Black Programming Consortium, New England Broadband, Townsend Group and iSwop Networks in a letter to Chairman Tom Wheeler Tuesday. “Diverse programmers and cable networks have repeatedly made a compelling case that the current system of little to no minority ownership and programming is abhorrent and deserving of a solution such as that proposed in the NPRM,” the letter said.

AT&T's goal on special access is to delay FCC action that would "check monopolistic tendencies" of incumbent telcos, Incompas CEO Chip Pickering said Thursday. "In an act of desperation, AT&T is claiming that the FCC doesn’t have sufficient information to act  --  even though it has just completed the largest data collection ever undertaken by the FCC in any proceeding," he said in a blog post. "With data in hand, now is the time for the Commission to act promptly to address this broken market. Finally ending monopoly pricing, and eliminating punishing terms and conditions, which are locking up customers and locking out competition." The FCC could issue a Further NPRM in April or May in its broad special access rulemaking and an order in its ILEC tariff investigation (see 1603210048). Pickering said AT&T "likes to take a helicopter view of the market" that looks at competition by census block. "But let me ask you, when was the last time someone said, 'I work in a census block?' Never," he said. "That is because real people work in buildings  --  school buildings, hospital buildings, and fire station buildings." Pickering said ILECs have connections to virtually every commercial location in their monopoly-derived territories. "They are the only provider of special access services to the vast majority of these locations. That’s market power," he said. Pickering dismissed AT&T's suggestion that competitors don't need reasonably priced last-mile access to ILEC special access facilities. "If building to locations was as easy as the incumbents claim, why haven’t they (with hundreds of billions more resources than any competitor) built much, if at all, outside their incumbent regions?" he said. Pickering questioned AT&T arguments that cable provides "fierce competition" to ILEC special access services. "In reality, most cable services are not special access services (i.e., dedicated services)," he said. "Nonetheless, NCTA’s special access filing only demonstrates the ineffectiveness of a duopoly. It asserts more competition would be bad because it would force providers to improve service and lower prices ….um, YES, that is exactly what competitive market forces are intended to do." He called on the FCC to "address the abuse of market power," including over ethernet services, and voiced hope it would do so under Chairman Tom Wheeler, "who's been consistent in his efforts to promote and preserve competition."

AT&T's goal on special access is to delay FCC action that would "check monopolistic tendencies" of incumbent telcos, Incompas CEO Chip Pickering said Thursday. "In an act of desperation, AT&T is claiming that the FCC doesn’t have sufficient information to act  --  even though it has just completed the largest data collection ever undertaken by the FCC in any proceeding," he said in a blog post. "With data in hand, now is the time for the Commission to act promptly to address this broken market. Finally ending monopoly pricing, and eliminating punishing terms and conditions, which are locking up customers and locking out competition." The FCC could issue a Further NPRM in April or May in its broad special access rulemaking and an order in its ILEC tariff investigation (see 1603210048). Pickering said AT&T "likes to take a helicopter view of the market" that looks at competition by census block. "But let me ask you, when was the last time someone said, 'I work in a census block?' Never," he said. "That is because real people work in buildings  --  school buildings, hospital buildings, and fire station buildings." Pickering said ILECs have connections to virtually every commercial location in their monopoly-derived territories. "They are the only provider of special access services to the vast majority of these locations. That’s market power," he said. Pickering dismissed AT&T's suggestion that competitors don't need reasonably priced last-mile access to ILEC special access facilities. "If building to locations was as easy as the incumbents claim, why haven’t they (with hundreds of billions more resources than any competitor) built much, if at all, outside their incumbent regions?" he said. Pickering questioned AT&T arguments that cable provides "fierce competition" to ILEC special access services. "In reality, most cable services are not special access services (i.e., dedicated services)," he said. "Nonetheless, NCTA’s special access filing only demonstrates the ineffectiveness of a duopoly. It asserts more competition would be bad because it would force providers to improve service and lower prices ….um, YES, that is exactly what competitive market forces are intended to do." He called on the FCC to "address the abuse of market power," including over ethernet services, and voiced hope it would do so under Chairman Tom Wheeler, "who's been consistent in his efforts to promote and preserve competition."

AT&T said the FCC should ease, not toughen, special access regulation, and it responded to various commission queries in a meeting with staffers last week. There's no reason for the FCC to roll back past pricing deregulation of ILEC special access (dedicated circuit) services in the broadband business market, the company said. There is every reason to provide further "Phase II" relief where telcos are subject to facilities-based competition, such as in Chicago and Dallas, where AT&T faces intense competitive pressures, AT&T said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 05-25 summarizing the Thursday meeting.

The Consumer Video Choice Coalition launched a website to “drive action” on the FCC proposal to change set-top box rules, the CVCC said in a news release Monday. Unlockthebox.com asks readers to contact Congress and the FCC, and outlines the CVCC ‘s arguments in favor of the FCC proposal. “The FCC has the opportunity to let competition unleash innovation in hardware, software and new streaming content,” said Chip Pickering, CEO of Incompas, in the release.

The Consumer Video Choice Coalition launched a website to “drive action” on the FCC proposal to change set-top box rules, the CVCC said in a news release Monday. Unlockthebox.com asks readers to contact Congress and the FCC, and outlines the CVCC ‘s arguments in favor of the FCC proposal. “The FCC has the opportunity to let competition unleash innovation in hardware, software and new streaming content,” said Chip Pickering, CEO of Incompas, in the release.

The FCC is considering acting in its special access proceedings in April or May, informed sources told us Monday. The commission is looking at issuing a Further NPRM in its broad review and an order on its incumbent telco tariff investigation in the next couple of months, an industry official said. The FCC's goal is to act in April but that’s not nailed down, said another informed source, who agreed the agency might combine an FNPRM with action on the tariff probe. The commission is reviewing its special access framework in an industrywide rulemaking and is investigating ILEC tariff terms and conditions that critics allege include anti-competitive “lock-up” provisions, which incumbents dispute.

The FCC is considering acting in its special access proceedings in April or May, informed sources told us Monday. The commission is looking at issuing a Further NPRM in its broad review and an order on its incumbent telco tariff investigation in the next couple of months, an industry official said. The FCC's goal is to act in April but that’s not nailed down, said another informed source, who agreed the agency might combine an FNPRM with action on the tariff probe. The commission is reviewing its special access framework in an industrywide rulemaking and is investigating ILEC tariff terms and conditions that critics allege include anti-competitive “lock-up” provisions, which incumbents dispute.

CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association were joined by the Computer & Communications Industry Association and Incompas in a joint letter to the FCC raising concerns about the wireless implications of the agency’s proposed Lifeline rules (see 1603170044). Parts of the proposed order “appear to ignore technological and market characteristics of providing mobile wireless voice and broadband service to low-income consumers,” the groups told the FCC. “If adopted, these proposals will disrupt successful aspects of the Lifeline program, hinder the ability of mobile wireless providers to offer services, and harm millions of low-income consumers who depend on Lifeline support.” By requiring that only mobile Lifeline plans offer unlimited voice minutes by December, “the Commission will substantially increase the prices that eligible low-income consumers must pay to connect with educational, health, occupational and public safety services, including 9-1-1, through mobile wireless voice services,” the groups said. No wireless carrier offers unlimited voice minutes for the $9.25 per month in support from the Lifeline program, they said. The FCC “will effectively reverse a long-standing policy against requiring co-payments and put Lifeline service out of reach from low- income consumers that lack the disposable income or banking capabilities to make a monthly payment,” the groups said. The FCC has tried to avoid flash cuts and disruption in reforming other parts of USF, the groups said. In contrast, “the Commission’s Lifeline reform approach will impose significant changes on low-income consumers by December of this year, with more significant changes each year for three years,” the groups said. An FCC spokesman earlier defended the agency’s approach. He said proposed minimum standards “are not phasing out voice from the Lifeline program, but rather are phasing in broadband as an essential element of any Lifeline service.”

CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association were joined by the Computer & Communications Industry Association and Incompas in a joint letter to the FCC raising concerns about the wireless implications of the agency’s proposed Lifeline rules (see 1603170044). Parts of the proposed order “appear to ignore technological and market characteristics of providing mobile wireless voice and broadband service to low-income consumers,” the groups told the FCC. “If adopted, these proposals will disrupt successful aspects of the Lifeline program, hinder the ability of mobile wireless providers to offer services, and harm millions of low-income consumers who depend on Lifeline support.” By requiring that only mobile Lifeline plans offer unlimited voice minutes by December, “the Commission will substantially increase the prices that eligible low-income consumers must pay to connect with educational, health, occupational and public safety services, including 9-1-1, through mobile wireless voice services,” the groups said. No wireless carrier offers unlimited voice minutes for the $9.25 per month in support from the Lifeline program, they said. The FCC “will effectively reverse a long-standing policy against requiring co-payments and put Lifeline service out of reach from low- income consumers that lack the disposable income or banking capabilities to make a monthly payment,” the groups said. The FCC has tried to avoid flash cuts and disruption in reforming other parts of USF, the groups said. In contrast, “the Commission’s Lifeline reform approach will impose significant changes on low-income consumers by December of this year, with more significant changes each year for three years,” the groups said. An FCC spokesman earlier defended the agency’s approach. He said proposed minimum standards “are not phasing out voice from the Lifeline program, but rather are phasing in broadband as an essential element of any Lifeline service.”