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TOP OF THE NEWS
COMPTEL Debuts New Website
COMPTEL launched its new website last week, giving visitors more opportunities to interact with the association on social media, and enabling streamlined use on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
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COMPTEL PLUS
Two Weeks Remain to Submit Session Proposals
for COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2014 Convention & EXPO
Submission Deadline May 16
COMPTEL wants you to share your expertise on business strategies, innovative technologies or regulatory trends that are shaping the future of the competitive communications industry. We are now accepting session proposals for the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2014 Convention & EXPO, which is scheduled for October 5-8 at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas.
Proposals must be submitted online by no later than Friday, May 16.
If you have questions, please email Tracy McDonald or call 202-296-6650.
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AT THE FCC
FCC Releases Agenda for May 6 E-Rate Workshop
On Tuesday, May 6, the FCC will host an "E-rate Modernization Workshop" in Commission Meeting Room (TW-C305) at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The workshop will focus on the important goal of connecting all schools and libraries to high-capacity broadband networks, and effective strategies and lessons learned in achieving the goal. In addition to remarks by Chairman Wheeler and Commissioners Clyburn, O'Rielly, Pai and Rosenworcel, the workshop will include panelists who will discuss topics such as:
- Broadband-Enabled Opportunities for Schools and Libraries
- Education and Library Technology Experts Roundtable
- Expanding Access to Wi-Fi for Schools and Libraries
- Enabling the Lowest "E-rate" for Schools and Libraries
The workshop is open to the public, and all attendees are advised to arrive approximately 30 minutes prior to the start of the workshop to allow time to go through security. It also will be webcast online at www.fcc.gov/live, and viewers may submit questions by e-mail to livequestions@fcc.gov and/or via Twitter at #ErateModernization.
Updates to the agenda, as well as panelist materials, will be available on the workshop website.
FCC Seeks Comments on Waiver Petitions
Related to Rural Call Completion Order
Last week the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau announced that it was seeking comment on two petitions for limited waiver of the recordkeeping, retention and reporting requirements adopted in the Rural Call Completion Order. These petitions were filed by
by Midcontinent Communications on January 24 and by AT&T Services, Inc. on April 10.
Midcontinent seeks a waiver pursuant to section 1.3 of the FCC's rules, asserting that it will suffer significant hardship absent a waiver and that it is committed to ensuring that calls to rural customers are completed. AT&T seeks a waiver pursuant to paragraphs 95-97 of the
Rural Call Completion Order, which apply to covered providers that qualify for the Managing Intermediate Providers Safe Harbor.
Comments are due May 12, and reply comments are due May 19.
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ON THE HILL
COMPTEL, Members Continue Call for
Congress to Stop Abusive Patent Litigation
On April 30, COMPTEL joined with several of its members and hundreds of other companies to urge Congress to stop abusive patent litigation. In a letter to Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Charles Grassley, ranking member of the committee, signers noted that "abusive patent litigation is killing small companies, chilling employment and growth of all companies, and stifling the economize of a wide range of industries nationwide.
The letter continued that to stop patent abuse, legislation should make it easier to:
- Curb abusive demand letters and punish those entities sending them;
- Uncloak trolls that hide behind shell corporations;
- Protect customers and end users from lawsuits based on their use of another company's products and services;
- Understand the basis of a claim of infringement through reasonable pleading and transparency requirements;
- Protect against baseless fishing expeditions in the current patent litigation system's discovery process that drive up legal costs; and
- Make trolls pay when they file frivolous cases.
House Subcommittee to Host FCC Oversight Hearing
The House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), will host a hearing to conduct oversight of the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, May 20, 2014. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will be the sole witness. Among the topics to be discussed are incentive auctions, net neutrality rules, broadcast sharing issues, FCC process reform, and the Communication Act update. House Hearing Focuses on Telehealth
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INTERCONNECTION
Reidy to Speak on Panel About Voice Interconnection
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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.
May 6 Regulatory/Legislative Committee Meeting
May 13 Regulatory/Legislative Committee Meeting
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