Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., will retire from Congress at the end of his term, he said Thursday. He was president of Incompas from 2007 to 2009 when the group was known as Comptel, in between his terms as a lawmaker. He was first elected to Congress in 1994, left in 2001 and then returned to the House in 2013. Salmon attributed his decision to wanting to spend more time with his family.

Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., will retire from Congress at the end of his term, he said Thursday. He was president of Incompas from 2007 to 2009 when the group was known as Comptel, in between his terms as a lawmaker. He was first elected to Congress in 1994, left in 2001 and then returned to the House in 2013. Salmon attributed his decision to wanting to spend more time with his family.

State and federal regulators need to be focused on making broadband work, experts said during a National Regulatory Research Institute webinar Wednesday. The NRRI event expanded on a panel -- with the same participants -- held at a NARUC meeting in Washington last week (see 1602160004).

State and federal regulators need to be focused on making broadband work, experts said during a National Regulatory Research Institute webinar Wednesday. The NRRI event expanded on a panel -- with the same participants -- held at a NARUC meeting in Washington last week (see 1602160004).

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will give the keynote speech at the Incompas Show April 11, the group announced Monday. The show is scheduled for April 10-13 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, near Washington.

The FCC should resist calls for major special access regulation and uphold incentives for facilities-based competition, NCTA said Friday in a filing weighing in for the first time on the agency’s broad review of the business telecom market and its regulatory framework. The cable group expressly called on the commission to reject “CLEC proposals for substantial new rate regulation.” Meanwhile, CLECs and others continued to make arguments for the FCC to bolster special access regulation, while ILECs opposed those calls. Many parties filed detailed reply comments due Friday in docket 05-25 responding to initial comments (see 1601290053, 1601270072 and 1601260056).

The FCC should resist calls for major special access regulation and uphold incentives for facilities-based competition, NCTA said Friday in a filing weighing in for the first time on the agency’s broad review of the business telecom market and its regulatory framework. The cable group expressly called on the commission to reject “CLEC proposals for substantial new rate regulation.” Meanwhile, CLECs and others continued to make arguments for the FCC to bolster special access regulation, while ILECs opposed those calls. Many parties filed detailed reply comments due Friday in docket 05-25 responding to initial comments (see 1601290053, 1601270072 and 1601260056).

Charter Communications is talking buildout plans with the FCC, apparently as part of discussions about conditions on its plans to buy Bright House Networks and Time Warner Cable. Meanwhile, an FCC decision on the deals seems close, experts said in interviews last week. Opponents are redoubling lobbying efforts against the deal. The FCC and Charter didn't comment.

Charter Communications is talking buildout plans with the FCC, apparently as part of discussions about conditions on its plans to buy Bright House Networks and Time Warner Cable. Meanwhile, an FCC decision on the deals seems close, experts said in interviews last week. Opponents are redoubling lobbying efforts against the deal. The FCC and Charter didn't comment.

The FCC voted 3-2 Thursday to launch a rulemaking (see 1602160072) seeking comment on numerous changes to set-top box rules intended to make it easier for third parties to build and sell retail set tops that can access pay-TV content. Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O’Rielly as expected (see 1601280066) opposed the proposal, which they said was “slanted” and an unnecessary regulatory intrusion. “I’m confident that most consumers would rather eliminate the set-top box altogether,” Pai said.