Tom Wheeler

On May 1, President Obama announced Tom Wheeler as his nomination for Federal Communications Commission Chairman. Wheeler was president of the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) from 1979 to 1984. Then, after several years as CEO of various technology start-ups, including the first company to offer high-speed data to the home and the first digital video delivery service, he was asked to lead the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA), where he was CEO until 2004. More recently, Wheeler has been with Core Capital since 2005, where he serves on the boards of GoMobo, Jacked, LimeLife, Roundbox, Twisted Pair Solutions, and UpdateLogic. He is also on the board of Earthlink (NASDAQ: ELNK) and Transaction Network Services (NYSE: TNS). In addition, in 2009, he led the Obama-Biden Transition Project's Agency Review Working Group in charge of transitions for the science, technology, space and arts agencies. Wheeler also serves as chairman of the FCC's Technology Advisory Council.

 

In a statement after the announcement, COMPTEL CEO Jerry James said, ""COMPTEL congratulates Mr. Wheeler on his nomination to the FCC. With a wealth of experience and industry knowledge, he is well-suited to provide thoughtful leadership at a time when the Commission has a number of important issues to address. Perhaps the most critical issue facing the FCC now is the transition to IP technology in our nation's communications network. As part of that transition, the FCC must ensure that pro-competitive policies remain in place so that all consumers, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, can continue to enjoy innovative solutions and choose from a variety of providers to best meet their needs. We hope that the confirmation process is quick, so that we can begin working with Mr. Wheeler and the rest of the Commission as they focus on the IP transition and numerous other topics that are vital to continued development of a robust communications marketplace." 

Monday, May 13 is the deadline to submit a session proposal for the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2013 Convention & EXPO, which is taking place Monday, September 23 to Thursday, September 26, at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando.  

 

Share your insights into business strategies, innovative technologies and/or regulatory trends that are shaping the future of the competitive communications industry. We also welcome your input on other relevant, thought-provoking and timely topics, panel discussions and case studies that would be of interest to the communications industry.

 

For details on how to submit a proposal and a link to the online submission form, please visit the COMPTEL PLUS website. If you have questions, please email Tracy MacDonald or call 202-296-6650. 

COMPTEL is proud to promote its member companies' expertise with a page on our website dedicated to their white papers. Recent white papers will be listed as a headline on the webpage along with the company names and logos.  All headline listings will be linked directly to the corresponding white paper hosted on the company's website.  There is no charge to post white papers on the COMPTEL website.

Take advantage of the opportunity to drive traffic to your website while also having your white papers reviewed by other COMPTEL members. For more information regarding the new white paper webpage, and/or if you're interested in joining COMPTEL, please e-mail Kevin Morris or call him at 202-296-6650.  

On May 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new rules to better target Community Connect broadband grants to areas where they are needed the most. USDA Rural Development's Community Connect Grant program serves rural communities where broadband service is least likely to be available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for citizens.

The changes include:

• Simplifying the application process by requiring a single project summary and map.
• Allowing grant applicants to use a USDA Web-based mapping tool to define their proposed service area. The old rules did not accommodate some of the most rural communities, which often are not Census-designated places or were not recognized by a commercial atlas.
• Giving grant applicants more flexibility on the types of resources, in-kind services and monetary contributions that can be used to meet the 15 percent matching fund requirement.

The also allow the USDA to consider giving funding priority to projects in:

• persistent poverty counties;
• communities experiencing population declines;
• the most rural areas.

USDA's Rural Utilities Service plans to publish information on Community Connect funding opportunities, including application deadlines and the amount of assistance available, in the Federal Register soon.

Founded in 1984, Cisco now has more than 73,000 employees generating over $12 billion in annual global revenue by providing communications solutions that change the way we work, live, play and learn. The company solves its customers' most important business challenges by delivering intelligent networks and technology architectures built on integrated products, services and software platforms.

Visit the COMPTEL website to learn more about Cisco.

For more information on submitting a member profile, or updating an existing one, e-mail Anna Bayer or call 202-296-6650.