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Vol. 19, No. 48

December 4, 2023

WELCOME

NEW MEMBER


TerraCom Inc.

UPCOMING EVENTS


December 6, 2023

Connectbase Webinar:

The Bottom-Line Impact of Reducing Telecom Order Fallout Rates


March 5, 2024

The 2024 INCOMPAS

Policy Summit

Washington, D.C.

MEMBER NEWS


C Spire Winning in Business Helps Support Winning on the Playing Fields


The Boost Wireless Network is Now Live in 12 Markets


Boost Wireless Network Goes Live in Denver, Offering Superfast 5G Coverage at an Affordable Price


Ezee Fiber to Invest $200 Million In Fort Bend County To Further Expand Its 100% Fiber Optic Network In Texas


GoNetspeed Completes Kennebunk Construction


GoNetspeed CEO Says Accelerated Build Will Bring 140,000 Passings This Year


Google Fiber Appoints First Growth Officer; Here’s Her Plan


Google Fiber Partnerw with Actiontec to Design a Wi-Fi 7 Router for its Forthcoming 20-Gig Tier


Granite Awarded Association of Fundraising Professionals Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist Award


Metronet Expands Availability of eero Max 7 Boosting Leading Speeds to 34 Communities


MetTel and Sotera Team Up to Bring the Highest Security Standard to Mobile Communications


Tarana Wireless Next-Generation Fixed Wireless Access (ngFWA) Government Demo in Palo Alto, CA

COMMENT

DEADLINES


December 14

Comments Due on NPRM to Reclassify Broadband Under Title II


Comments Due on Reconsideration of RIF Remand Order


December 18

Reply Comments Due on FCC 706 NOI


Comments Due on AI Robocall NOI


December 29

Reply Comments Due on Access to Numbering Resources 


January 16

Reply Comments Due on AI Robocall NOI


January 17

Reply Comments Due on NPRM to Reclassify Broadband Under Title II


Reply Comments Due on Reconsideration of RIF Remand Order

This Wednesday!

Webinar to Explore Bottom-Line Impact of Reducing Telecom Order Fallout Rates

Is telecom order fallout destroying the quality of your customer experience? Are you losing opportunities or seeing unexpectedly low win rates? Is your network build-out hampered by construction cost surprises that reduce your profitability? 


Join Connectbase CEO and Founder Ben Edmond Wednesday, December 6 at 2 p.m. ET for an exploration of fallout and what you can do to transform your business by using automation to solve these challenges.


In this webinar, The Bottom-Line Impact of Reducing Telecom Order Fallout Rates, you’ll learn:

  • Two primary types of fallout
  • Impact of fallout from both a buyer’s perspective and a seller’s perspective
  • Insights on how digitization and automation can transform your results
  • Specific ways that Connectbase helps solve for fallout
  • Four proactive strategies to reduce order fallout in connectivity solutions


Even if you are unable to attend the live event, please register so you receive the link to watch it on-demand at a later date. 

REGISTER

INCOMPAS Files Comments in FCC's Sect. 706 Inquiry on Availability of Advanced Telecom Capability for All Americans

INCOMPAS last week filed comments in the FCC's Notice of Inquiry pursuant to Section 706 of the 1996 Telecom Act concerning deployment of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion. 


In its comments, INCOMPAS urged the FCC to: 

  • Update the fixed broadband performance benchmark of 1 Gbps, as this is truly representative of what constitutes as advanced in today's fixed broadband marketplace
  • Use Broadband Data Collection (BCD) data to analyze current subscription rates at the household level to more accurately assess competition
  • Maintain the current evaluative framework in which fixed and mobile broadband networks are recognized as separate, complementary services, not as functional substitutes
  • Take additional regulatory steps in current agency proceedings to promote increased broadband deployment and address barriers to entry


"Connectivity is the key to participating in our new global online society. However, just any connection isn't good enough anymore. INCOMPAS commends the FCC for proposing to adopt a higher fixed broadband performance benchmark, but we think it can go further. Our world demands a fast, reliable, affordable connection, and the market is responding to this demand. That's why since 2017 INCOMPAS has been advocating for 1 Gigabit to be the benchmark download speed for providers," said INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering.


"With so many resources flooding the marketplace to bring broadband to every corner of the country, it is critical we build fast future-proof networks to fully capitalize on these investments. A number of our competitive providers are offering multi-gigabit plans, which has spurred incumbents to upgrade their networks equating to faster, better, more affordable service for consumers," he added.


"In order to unleash the power of this benchmark upgrade, we also need to address the many barriers to deployment that competitive providers still face. From pole attachments to competition issues in multi-tenant environments, these issues continue to be huge impediments to deployment, and we strongly urge the Commission to work expeditiously to resolve them," Pickering concluded. "The Commission’s Notice of Inquiry addresses a number of important issues that not only impact our membership but how Americans across the country are connected. We look forward to working with the Commission on solutions to ensure all Americans have access to affordable, reliable, fast future-proof networks." 

NTIA Seeks Views on Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) last week solicited views on the implementation plan for the National Spectrum Strategy that it released in November. The White House released a Presidential Memorandum (PM), Modernizing United States Spectrum Policy and Establishing a National Spectrum Strategy, and the National Spectrum Strategy.


The PM tasks the Secretary of Commerce, through the NTIA, with publishing an Implementation Plan for the Strategy within 120 days after its release. NTIA welcomes public input on the implementation of the Strategy and is providing the opportunity to submit written comments and/or request meetings with NTIA staff regarding the implementation plan.


NTIA stressed that it was “interested in … a focus on the next 1-3 years, as such inputs allow NTIA and other federal agencies to benefit from expertise and viewpoints outside the federal government.”


The National Spectrum Strategy and Presidential Memorandum identify 2,786 MHz of spectrum to study for potential repurposing, including the 3.1-3.45 GHz band, and lay out a plan to improve long-term spectrum planning, interagency coordination and technology use.

FCC Provides Broadband Guidance to High-Cost Recipients

The FCC Wireline Competition Bureau issued a public notice providing guidance to Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model, Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, Connect America Fund Phase II auction, Bringing Puerto Rico Together Fund and Connect USVI Fund support recipients.


The notice addressed their coordination with state broadband offices and tribal entities to determine the eligibility of locations for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program and avoid duplicative broadband network funding. The bureau said the high-cost support recipients should engage directly with state broadband offices and provide detailed information on the technologies used for deployment, and with each relevant tribal government every year even if the recipient has not begun deployment.

House Subcommittee Holds FCC Oversight Hearing

The House Energy and Commerce’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee held a hearing last Thursday titled “Oversight of President Biden’s Broadband Takeover.” The witnesses included the five FCC Commissioners.


During the hearing, questions focused on the agency’s net neutrality and digital discrimination proceedings, as well as additional funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, also known as the rip-and-replace proceeding. There also were many questions about spectrum allocation and creating a spectrum pipeline for commercial use, although the FCC’s spectrum auction authority has lapsed.


View the hearing on demand here.

House E&C Committe to Hold NTIA Oversight Hearing

The House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) announced a hearing titled “Oversight of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration” for December 5 at 10:30 a.m. ET. The hearing will focus on NTIA’s role in advancing American communications leadership. 


The hearing will be live streamed on the Committee website.

Transaction Network Services Launches Enterprise

Authentication as Next Evolution for Branded Calls

Transaction Network Services (TNS) has strengthened its commitment to protecting enterprises from the impact of spoofed calls, fraud and reputational damage to their brand with the launch of Enterprise Authentication. The new advanced call authentication technology, available as part of the award winning TNS Enterprise Branded Calling product suite, restores trust in voice calling by ensuring only legitimate, authenticated branded calls from an Enterprise Authentication user are delivered to the end recipient. Other benefits include: 


  • TNS best practices validate the legitimacy of enterprises and confirm they have the right to use associated telephone numbers and enterprise calling data. 
  • Equipped with a Call Event API for authenticating a call, it allows a business to notify TNS which calls are legitimately from the enterprise.  
  • Authenticating a brand’s number with TNS means fewer security protocols are needed once a call has connected. 


TNS has more than 30 years’ experience in call identification and has facilitated one billion+ branded calls across major wireless carriers. The TNS Enterprise Branded Calling solution is available without an app download, on 300m+ Android and iOS devices across the Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Learn more.

INCOMPAS | www.incompas.org
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