During the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2014 Convention & EXPO, broadband innovation will be the focus of one of the current tracks. Sessions, which take place Tuesday, October 7 at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas, include:

Rural Broadband: Extending the Reach to Meet Demand - Speakers from COMLINK, Gila Local Exchange, Iowa Network Services and Sprint will discuss the obstacles they have overcome and the cutting-edge technologies and products they're using to reach customers. The session, moderated by Klein Law Group, also will review unique issues related to deploying networks and providing services on tribal lands.
Fiber, Fiber Everywhere: The Intersection of Industry, Government and Policy - During this session, panelists from FiberLight, Fibertech, FirstLight Fiber, Mintz Levin and NATOA/CTC Technology & Energy. will outline how new products and technologies are providing competitive advantages, share their experiences working with local governments on permitting and right-of-way issues, and discuss how industry and regulatory hurdles impact their strategies.
Rural Telehealth: A Healthy Business Opportunity - Speakers from BT Americas, Connect2Health FCC Task Force/Johns Hopkins University, Davis Wright Tremaine, Lakes Regional MHMR Center and Rural Health Telecom will discuss the current federal program that underwrites rural telehealth services, relevant business opportunities, the latest technologies supporting telehealth, and the network, bandwidth and customer care challenges of serving this market.

Have You Registered Yet?

If you signed up to attend the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2014 Convention & EXPO, October 5-8 in Dallas, register today. And don't forget to book your room at our host hotel, the Gaylord Texan - rooms are nearly sold out!

COMPTEL PLUS

Hogan Lovells to Host Workshop October 8 on the

High Stakes Changes to Communications Laws

Hogan Lovells will host a free, half-day workshop on Wednesday, October 8, at the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2014 Convention & EXPO in Dallas. Entitled "Bringing Telecom into the 21st Century: Congress 2015 and the High Stakes Rewrite of the Communications Act," the workshop will examine the impact of potential changes to communications laws and policies, and the role of industry in helping shape future reform.

"The communications industry contributes nearly $1 trillion annually to the U.S. economy," said Michele Farquhar, leader of Hogan Lovells' Communications Practice. "The innovation, convergence and consolidation marking the evolution of the industry have led to calls to review the Communications Act, including the FCC's authority."

"The time is ripe for the legislative overhaul now underway by the House of Representatives and the Senate, but the longstanding debates among the key players and their traditional framing of the issues are no longer suited to the task at hand," added Hogan Lovells Partner Trey Hanbury. "This workshop will take a fresh look at the Act and how to tailor a legislative vehicle that addresses today's controversies - while promoting competition and economic growth - and remains relevant in the years ahead."

The workshop will be comprised of three panels, which examine how the evolution of the communications industry and technological innovation is fueling momentum to overhaul communications laws and rules governing competition. The panelists also will discuss key policy principles that will offer oversight for the modern communications ecosystem and the role of the FCC. Panels include:

Legislative Change Overview - Former members of Congress will provide their views on current legislative efforts, including the factors driving these proposed changes, whether room for consensus exists in an increasingly polarized political environment and what lessons were learned during drafting of the 1996 Telecom Act.
Changes to Communications Policy - Panelists - including current House and Senate staffers who will be working on the rewrite - will discuss the principles for reform; the impact changes and innovations in the marketplace have on the way Congress views communications policy; how the current Act has served the marketplace and economy; and what is working and what may not be. They also will share their perspectives on how universal service will be preserved in any anticipated rewrite; how competition should figure into the analysis; and how policies should handle current disputes over access to content and a free and open Internet.
New Rules for New Times to Promote Competition in the Marketplace? - Top government relations officials for competitive providers will discuss the potential impact a rewrite could have on investment, competitors' priorities, remaining market barriers that Congress can lower to achieve more investment and innovation. They also will address statutory changes that would offer greater certainty to all parties.

The "Bringing Telecom into the 21st Century" workshop will take place from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., October 8 at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas. The full agenda and confirmed speakers can be found in the COMPTEL PLUS schedule-at-a-glance.

COMPTEL Thanks Gold and Silver Sponsors

COMPTEL would like to acknowledge its largest sponsors of the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2014 Convention & EXPO.

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

AT THE FCC

COMPTEL Files Replies in Open Interent Proceeding

Today COMPTEL filed reply comments in the Open Internet Proceeding, urging the Commission "to take heed of the broad public support in favor of strong open Internet protections, and adopt solid Open Internet rules that will prevent broadband providers from engaging in discrimination, blocking lawful traffic or offering paid prioritization for Internet traffic." COMPTEL also noted that the Commission should ensure that such rules have a strong legal foundation by reclassifying the transmission component of broadband Internet access as a Title II service.

FCC Announces Agenda for September Open Meeting

Last week, the FCC released the tentative agenda for its September 30, 2014, open meeting. Topics on the agenda include:

Sports Blackout Rules
Rules for Satellite Services
Part 15 NPRM
Wireless Microphones NPRM

The open meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in Room TW-C305 at FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C. The event will be shown live at FCC.gov/live.

OPEN INTERNET

COMPTEL Participates in "Internet Slowdown" to
Shine Light on Importance of Open Internet

On September 10, COMPTEL joined with thousands of other organizations and start-ups to call attention to the continued need for an open Internet. As part of the Internet Slowdown, COMPTEL featured a "loading" symbol on its website to call attention to the inevitable slow down that will occur if the open Internet is not preserved. The banner also served as a call to action, encouraging web visitors to contact their lawmakers to express their concerns about constraining the ability of ISPs to restrict or otherwise interfere with users' access to the Internet or certain web sites.

The Internet has been extremely successful because of its open nature, driving significant innovation and new means of commerce and communication. There are several issues at stake as regulators and lawmakers consider the open Internet - from exchange of Internet traffic and last mile access to discrimination against companies that cannot afford to pay to have their traffic travel in fast lanes on the service providers' networks.

In comments on this issue, COMPTEL urged the FCC to use Title II to regulate the transmission component of broadband Internet access service and protect against discrimination and blocking, while simultaneously making clear that it will not tolerate anticompetitive practices in the exchange of Internet traffic, in order to preserve the Internet's open nature.

ON THE HILL

Senate Judiciary Hosts Open Internet Hearing

On Wednesday, September 17, the Senate Judiciary Committee will host a hearing entitled "Why Net Neutrality Matters: Protecting Consumers and Competition Through Meaningful Open Internet Rules." The hearing will take place at 10:30 a.m. ET in Hart 216, and will be webcast live. Witnesses have not yet announced.

House Small Business Committee Examines FCC

On Wednesday, September 17 at 1 p.m., the House of Representatives Small Business Committee will host a hearing on "Is the FCC Responding to the Needs of Small Business and Rural America?" FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will be the sole witness. The hearing will be webcast live here.

House E&C Committee to Host FCC Oversight Hearing

On Wednesday, September 17, the House Energy & Commerce Committee will host a hearing on "Oversight of FCC Budget and Management." The hearing, which is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn, will feature witnesses Jon Wilkins, FCC managing director, and David Hunt, FCC inspector general.

WEBINAR ARCHIVE

VarData, Fujitsu Host Webinar on

Architecting Ethernet Networks

On September 11, Jeff Babbitt, senior manager of Data Solutions at Fujitsu Network Solutions, shared his insights on Ethernet network design and the benefits of Carrier Ethernet services in a comprehensive webinar on "Keys to Designing a Scalable, Cost-Effective Ethernet Network: An Overview of Benefits that Ethernet Offers vs. a Multi-layered Architecture."

The webinar, examined how an Ethernet architecture can overcome challenges, such as:

Reducing overall network cost;
Lowering the cost per bit for services; and
Economically accommodating network bandwidth growth.

Visit the COMPTEL Webinar Program archives to download this informative webinar.

COMPTEL Webinar Program
The VarData - Fujitsu webinar was produced through of the COMPTEL Webinar Program, which is powered by PGi. For more information about hosting your own Webinar, please e-mail Tracy MacDonald 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.

September 16 Regulatory/Legislative Committee Meeting

2 p.m. Contact Karen Reidy

September 23 Regulatory/Legislative Committee Meeting

2 p.m. Contact Karen Reidy