CommLaw Monitor
Does the Universal Service Fund Need a Cap? A Divided FCC Begins its Inquiry
On Friday, May 31, 2019, the FCC released a much-anticipated notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) to consider the adoption of an overall budget cap on the Universal Service Fund (“USF”), separate from any individual…
Battle Over Collection of Robocall Fines Illustrates Broader Enforcement Issues, Not a Lack of Willpower on TCPA
A new report from the Wall Street Journal on FCC robocall enforcement set off a minor scrum over the effectiveness of the FCC’s TCPA efforts under Chairman Pai. The report claimed that, despite recent eye-popping…
FCC Plans to Eliminate Rural “Rate Floor,” Heading Off Potential Price Hikes
The FCC plans to adopt an order eliminating the controversial rural “ rate floor ” that restricts the amount of Universal Service Fund (“USF”) support received by some carriers to build and maintain networks in…
FCC Back to Full Strength Following Swearing In of New Commissioner Geoffrey Starks
On January 30, 2019, Geoffrey Starks was sworn in as the newest FCC Commissioner, restoring the agency to its full complement of five Commissioners for the first time since the summer. In announcing his swearing in,…
In a Prelude to its TCPA Ruling, the FCC Votes to Create a Database to Identify Reassigned Numbers
With speculation running rampant that Chairman Pai intends to bring a remand order from ACA International v. FCC in January 2019, the FCC took a related step to reduce misdirected calls. At the December Open Meeting,…