Connection MasterHead 600x113
Vol. 11, No. 26
July 6, 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
TOP OF THE NEWS
COMPTEL PLUS
AT THE FCC
NARUC
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
MEMBER NEWS




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

July 16

July 31

September 25

October16

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@COMPTELPLUS 

                          

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UNLOCK THE BOX
New Consumer Video Choice Coalition 
Aims to Protect Video Device Options
Last week, COMPTEL joined with other leading technology organizations, consumer advocates and innovative video device companies to announce a new advocacy coalition that will push for video device competition. Other members of the Consumer Video Choice Coalition include CCIA, Open Technology Institute, Public Knowledge, Writers Guild of America, West, Ceton, Google, Hauppauge, SiliconDust, TiVo Inc. and VIZIO.

"The market is driving video consumers to go over-the-top, break the bundle and now unlock the box," said COMPTEL CEO Chip Pickering. "A more robust marketplace for set-top boxes and other video navigation devices is vital to ensuring that consumers, device manufacturers and content providers can receive maximize benefits from the rapid changes occurring in how consumers are viewing content."

The new coalition will demonstrate to policymakers at the FCC and lawmakers on Capitol Hill that there is broad support to promote competition and innovation by making video networks more available to third-party devices.

Network operators are more focused than ever on preserving their control of set-top devices to direct consumers' access to video content - particularly content affiliated with or favored by the network operators. As with network neutrality, this broad-based coalition will foster an environment for the FCC to give consumers the same rights they have when using other communications networks, and to end network operators' stranglehold over devices.

"Lack of choice and competition for alternative set-top box and other video delivery devices is costing consumers and holding back innovation," Pickering added. "Unlocking the box will free consumers, content creators and builders by opening new platforms and new markets."

The coalition will provide substantive input to the FCC, including the Downloadable Security Technical Advisory Committee (DSTAC), convened by the FCC pursuant to the Reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism ActReauthorization (STELAR), PL 113-200, and future video competition proceedings.

Members of the coalition joined with others to submit a letter to the DSTAC in May 2015 that urged the FCC "to ensure that the DSTAC process results in solutions that enable robust competition among retail and operator-leased navigation devices used to access video programming offered by multichannel video program distributors (MVPDs)."
COMPTEL PLUS
Register for COMPTEL PLUS by July 17 and Save
Early bird registration for the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2015 Business Expo, October 18-21 in San Francisco ends on July 17. Register now and take advantage of significant savings on full conference and networking passes.

With the full conference pass, you'll gain access to all COMPTEL PLUS has to offer, including admittance to keynote addresses, educational tracks, the expo, meeting rooms, COMPTEL PLUS Deal Center, networking receptions and other events, as well as conference materials. The networking pass is designed for attendees who are interested only in the expo and networking events.

While you're registering, you also can make your hotel reservations at our host hotel - the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.
AT THE FCC
FCC Releases TRS Funding Decision
Last week, the FCC released its order adopting per-minute compensation rates to be paid from the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund for the fund year beginning July 1, 2015, for all telecommunications relay services. Based on the compensation rates, projected demand for the services, and projected Fund administration expenses, the Commission adopted a funding requirement of $1,048,050,673 and a carrier contribution factor of 0.01635, as proposed by Rolka Loube.
NARUC
Join COMPTEL at Competitors' Reception
COMPTEL invites you to join it at the Competitors' Reception, Saturday, July 11, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Gilbert Room at the New York Marriott Marquis. The reception is sponsored by CompSouth, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, HyperCube LLC, Level 3 Communications, Midwest Association of Competitive Communications (MACC) and Windstream.

Please note that this event is not sponsored by NARUC, nor is it a part of the Summer Committee Meetings agenda. If you have questions about this event, please email Karen Reidy 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.

July 7               Regulatory/Legislative Committee Meeting
2 p.m.              Contact Karen Reidy

July 14             Regulatory/Legislative Committee Meeting 
2 p.m.               Contact Karen Reidy
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