INCOMPAS NEWS -- March 6, 2017

Vendors with products and services for the communications industry have a unique, exclusive opportunity to meet with some of the top buyers from across the country in a single location - The INCOMPAS Show in New Orleans, April 3-5.

We're making it easy to match vendors with the communications providers that could benefit most from their solutions during The INCOMPAS Show Buyers Forum, which provides time for both scheduled and unscheduled meetings, as well as ample networking time during breakfast and lunch on the show floor, and receptions every evening. Buyer open time is free to access and any show attendees can set up meetings on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure you get the meetings you want, there's also time for pre-arranged meetings during the Buyers Power Hour available for an additional fee for guaranteed meetings.

Among the buyers that will be in attendance are Bandwidth , B2 Telecom, CenturyLink, FiberLight LLC, Fibernet Direct, Horizon Network Partners, GTT, iBasis, Inteliquent, Peerless Network, Southern Light, TDS Telecom, Windstream and Zayo. More buyers are being added daily.

Register today! There are a number of options you can choose from: Full Conference, which includes all activities; Single Day access on Tuesday, April 4 or Wednesday, April 5; and a Networking pass to attend only networking receptions throughout the show.

Please note: To qualify for member rates, all companies must have renewed their membership for 2017.

Make Your Hotel Reservations Today!

By registering now, you also can secure your hotel reservation and benefit from the INCOMPAS preferred rate of $239 per night at our host hotel, the Hilton New Orleans Riverside (just 256 steps from the Morial Convention Center). Attendees will receive a link for housing reservations in their registration confirmation email. Discounted rates are limited and only available to registered conference attendees, so book soon!

Attendees staying at the Hilton also receive a number of other bonuses, such as:

Fitness Center passes for the entirety of their stay (Value - $12 per day)
High-speed internet (Value - $10 per day)
50 percent off parking (Value - approximately $50)

FCC Order Grants Stay of
Data Security Regulations

On March 1, the FCC released an order granting, in part, the petition of several trade associations to stay the rules adopted in the Broadband Privacy proceeding. Although the joint petition sought a stay of the entire order adopted by the Commission in October, the FCC chose to stay only one requirement - the data security regulations that were set to go into effect on March 2 - on an interim basis until the Commission can resolve the 11 pending petitions for reconsideration of the proceeding. The Commission also clarified that the stay does not impact other provisions of the order, including new data breach (effective June 2, 2017) and notice and customer approval requirements (effective December 4, 2017).

The Commission also issued a press release, and both Commissioners Clyburn and O'Rielly provided statements supporting their positions. Furthermore, Chairman Pai and the Federal Trade Commission's acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen released a joint statement pledging to "work together on harmonizing the FCC's privacy rules for broadband providers with the FTC's standards for other companies in the digital economy."

FCC Shares Orders, Fact Sheets Prior to March 23 Open Meeting

The FCC announced a tentative agenda for its March 23 Open Meeting, including items on:

Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls
Promoting Technological Solutions to Combat Contraband Wireless Device Use in Correctional Facilities (
Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Video Relay Service
Cellular Service Reform
Part 43 Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Services
Channel Sharing by Stations Outside the Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction Context

Prior to the FCC February Open Meeting, Chairman Ajit Pai began a pilot program to release orders being considered prior to the meeting. Based on feedback from the public, Chairman Pai will be releasing fact sheets and draft documents to be voted for all March agenda items.

In a blog post, Chairman Pai said: "We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the public. Accordingly, today the FCC is expanding the pilot project. We're publicly releasing the text of all six matters that will be considered at our March open meeting. Allowing anyone, anywhere to see these documents publicly is another step towards shedding more sunlight on the FCC's operations. After March 23, I expect that we'll be in a position to fully evaluate this pilot project and establish permanent procedures for the release of meeting items."

FCC Officials Discuss Open Internet, Broadband and 5G

On February 28, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai delivered a speech on " Building the 5G Economy " at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. During his remarks, he discussed how 5G could transform the wireless world. He shared how in the U.S., "we are in the process of returning to the light-touch approach to regulation that produced tremendous investment and innovation throughout our entire Internet ecosystem - from the core of our networks to providers at the edge."

Earlier last week, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn delivered an address in Washington, D.C. at an event hosted by The Voices for Internet Freedom Coalition. During her remarks, " Net Neutrality and the Fight for Our Digital Rights ," Commissioner Clyburn noted that the "very essence of the open internet debate is quite simple: How do we ensure, that one of the most inclusive, enabling, empowering platforms of our time, continues to be one where all applications, new products, ideas and diverse points of view have the exact same chance of being seen and heard by everyone, regardless of class, race, economic status or where they call home? This question was my compass, as I evaluated our 2015 decision, and it is also the answer to why I continue to strongly support these rules."

Verizon to Host Rural Call Completion Workshop March 29

Verizon will host its second Rural Call Completion Industry Workshop on Wednesday, March 29 from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the National Press Club (529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC).

The workshop will include an overview and discussion of investigative activities into rural call completion issues, and a presentation by Dr. Eric Burger of Georgetown University on research he has completed about the issue.

If you would like to attend, you must register no later than Wednesday, March 15. To register, email your name, title, company and email address to
[email protected].