At the FCC’s Open Meeting held on April 20, 2017, the Commission granted the Petition for Reconsideration filed by NTCA of the Commission’s Rate‐of‐Return Reform Order with respect to the average per location, per project construction limitation on universal service support. Background: In the Rate‐of‐Return Reform Order, the Commission adopted a Capital Investment Allowance (CIA)…
Continue ReadingVantage Point Solutions has analyzed USAC’s newly released budget control mechanisms (BCMs) taking effect on July 1, 2017. There are a number of key takeaways evident from the data: System wide impacts are modest Per line impacts are substantial Demand for HCLS and BLS-Voice are flat Budget shortfall (and budget controls) are driven by CBOL…
Continue ReadingIn today’s May 18, 2017 Open Meeting, the FCC voted to freeze the current rate floor at $18 and potentially later this year eliminate the local service rate floor rule and accompanying reporting obligations. Since 2012, the FCC began the phase in of a national rate floor for carriers receiving high cost support. RLECs were…
Continue ReadingUnder the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may be afforded safe harbor protections from copyright infringement liability if they meet certain requirements including electronically designating an agent to receive takedown notices and other notices of infringement. The Copyright Office has implemented a new electronic registration process and all ISPs must file…
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