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Vol. 9 No. 47             December 2, 2013
In This Issue
IP TRANSITION
COMPTEL PLUS
SPECIAL ACCESS
AT THE FCC
ON THE HILL
MEMBER PROFILE
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
December 9 is COMPTEL PLUS Monday 

You've already scored bargains on holiday presents on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so why not take advantage of more savings on "COMPTEL PLUS Monday"? 

On Monday December 9, you'll be able to start registering for the COMPTEL PLUS Spring 2014 Convention & EXPO, which is taking place March 16-19 in Las Vegas.

Register on Monday, December 9 and take advantage of significant savings on Full Conference and Networking Passes. And while you're registering, make your reservations at our host hotel, Aria Resort & Casino.


MEMBER NEWS





For more information about submitting member company news, please contact Gail Norris.
FCC DEADLINES

December 16
 
 
December 17
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TOP OF THE NEWS

COMPTEL, Granite Executives to Participate in
New England IP Transition Conference

Tomorrow COMPTEL Chief Advocate and General Counsel Angie Kronenberg and Sam Kline, a COMPTEL board member and vice president - Strategic Initiatives for Granite will participate in the New England IP Transition Conference at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. Kronenberg will participate in a panel on "Economic Development during the Shift to an IP Marketplace," with speakers from AT&T, DSCI and Microsoft. Kline will join representatives from EOPSS and Verizon on a panel discussing "Moving to IP and its Effects on Existing Network Infrastructure." 
COMPTEL PLUS

Exhibitors Can Plan On Winning Big at COMPTEL PLUS

Coming off the buzz of the Spring 2013 convention in Las Vegas, the exhibit hall at the COMPTEL PLUS Spring 2014 Convention & EXPO at the Aria Resort & Casino, March 16-19, will prove to be better than ever in 2014. The soon-to-be-announced revised agenda, new EXPO Hall attractions, live entertainment and additional promotional giveaways all promise to bring, and keep, the decision makers you need to meet onto the show floor. 

 

COMPTEL PLUS Spring is a can't miss opportunity to be seen in our EXPO hall . Prime booth space is going fast, so don't hesitate to e-mail Kevin Morris or call 202-296-6650 for additional information on how you can exhibit.

Special Access

COMPTEL to Host Next Members Only Call on 

Special Access Mandatory Data Request  

On Thursday, December 12, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST, COMPTEL will host the third in a series of calls for members only about the FCC's special access mandatory data request. During this call, COMPTEL staff and members will discuss the remainder of the questions in Section II.A. of the request.

 

If you are a COMPTEL member and are interested in participating in this call, please e-mail Jenny Gilbert for the dial-in information.

AT THE FCC

AT&T Proposes End to Special Access Contracts 

Last week, AT&T filed tariff changes that would eliminate five- and seven-year DS1 and DS3 special access contract offerings effective December 10. AT&T said it is doing this in conjunction to its expectation of completing the transition from time-division multiplexing (TDM) services to Internet protocol (IP services) by 2020.

 

COMPTEL and many other competitors protested the action, noting that AT&T's tariff change would raise prices because the discounts on the shorter-term plans are significantly smaller. COMPTEL noted that there is insufficient competition to curb AT&T's abuse of market power, as demonstrated by its proposed tariff changes, and urged the Commission to suspend and investigate this tariff for the reasons the association detailed in an October 28 letter.

  

COMPTEL Files Comments in Support of Deltacom 

and US Link Requests for Review of USAC Decisions 

COMPTEL filed comments in support of both US Link, Inc.'s and Deltacom Inc.'s requests for review of Universal Service Administrator decisions. COMPTEL said that the FCC should reverse the Universal Service Administrative Company's (USAC) audit finding that improperly reclassified intrastate private line revenue as interstate revenue due solely to the absence of "documentation to substantiate [the] intrastate jurisdiction" of the traffic on the line. COMPTEL said that it believes that USAC has misconstrued the Commission's "10 percent rule" and has exceeded the scope of its authority.

 
FCC Releases Local Competition Report 
On November 26, the FCC released a report on the status of local telephone competition as of December 31, 2012. The full report and associated charts can be downloaded from the FCC website
ON THE HILL

House Communications Subcommittee to Host 

FCC Oversight Hearing on December 12

The House Communications and Technology Subcommittee has scheduled a hearing on Thursday, December 12, 2013, to receive testimony from all five sitting FCC commissioners.


"With the recent confirmations of Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioner Michael O'Rielly, the commission is once again fully constituted. As the subcommittee of jurisdiction, we're looking forward to sitting down with the commission on December 12 and having an open, wide ranging discussion that will include everything from cell phones on airplanes to FCC process reforms and the status of the incentive auctions, as we work on the 2014 telecommunications agenda," said Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR). "The communications and technology sector is a welcome bright spot in our economy, and we must continue working to ensure the innovation and job growth continues to flourish."

Additional information on the hearing will be posted here when available.

MEMBER PROFILE
Appcore Automates Cloud Computing for Providers 
Appcore automates the business of cloud computing by delivering cloud automation management platforms for enterprise private clouds and service provider public clouds. The company's Appcore AMP™ is designed to simplify cloud environments through a single management and monitoring interface; delivered in three deployment methods as cloud appliance, converged infrastructure or white label, in under 30 days. As a fully integrated cloud solution, Appcore AMP reduces the complexity of users' cloud environments with technology agnostic and scalable best practice solutions backed by end-to-end support.  

Visit the COMPTEL website to learn more about Appcore.

For more information on submitting a member profile, or updating an existing one, e-mail Anna Bayer or call 202-296-6650. 
COMMITTEE MEETINGS 
All COMPTEL Committee meetings are held at the Association's headquarters, 1200 G St NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC 20005, unless otherwise noted.  All times listed are Eastern. For more information, call 202-296-6650.

December 3     
Regulatory/Legislative Committee Meeting
2 p.m.              Contact Karen Reidy

December 10   Regulatory/Legislative Committee Meeting
2 p.m.              Contact Karen Reidy
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