INCOMPAS News -- January 17, 2023

Vol. 19, No. 3

January 17, 2023

Raise Your Visibility in D.C. with a 2023 Policy Summit Sponsorship

The 2023 INCOMPAS Policy Summit is a marquee event that brings together lawmakers and policy makers with the competitive communications industry, and wireless, streaming, online content, application and service providers.

Raise your visibility in Washington, D.C., and among these key audiences with a Policy Summit sponsorship. A variety of options are available. For details, visit the Policy Summit website or email Julia Strow.

Also, stay tuned for details on high-level keynote speakers and informative panel discussions we'll feature this year.

INCOMPAS Responds to Senate Committee Broadband Hearing

In a letter to Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband, and Ranking Member Sen. John Thune (R-SD), INCOMPAS highlighted the investments in broadband infrastructure by streaming, online content, application and service providers.

INCOMPAS pointed out that in addition to the efforts and investment in broadband infrastructure by industry, the tech companies have invested $883 billion in network infrastructure that enables hosting, transport and delivery of internet traffic from 2011 to 2021, according to a report by Analysys Mason. And between 2018 and 2021 alone, tech companies increased this by 50%, making an annual investment of more than $120 billion a year.

INCOMPAS noted that as a result of these infrastructure investments, the association's tech members are bringing traffic closer to BIAS providers and end users, which improves the quality of service for BIAS customers. Analysys Mason estimates that these investments save BIAS providers around the globe $5 billion to $6.4 billion each year. It also found that while internet traffic volumes have grown significantly, costs for BIAS providers have remained stable over time—demonstrating that the growth of internet traffic has not led to increased costs for BIAS providers.

INCOMPAS Responds to Sen. Thune on Broadband Deployment

In a letter to Sen. John Thune (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband, INCOMPAS shared its perspective on how the government can best ensure that federal dollars for broadband services are implemented properly, the current broadband regulatory structure, and the association's priorities on these issues, which are vital to its member companies.

INCOMPAS said that it believes "the best way to ensure affordable, robust connectivity is to enable and promote competition. Continuing to fund monopoly networks that do not enable customer choice is a failed market policy that we must leave in the past. As such, INCOMPAS has advocated that the process for IIJA’s Internet for All funding be open to competitors and that policymakers require funded entities to enable competition and choice for customers through wholesale access policies. We urge Congress to ensure that all unserved and underserved locations in the U.S. be eligible for IIJA funding as intended so that every location in the U.S. is finally served by robust broadband."

Responses included with the letter detail INCOMPAS priorities of increasing access for competitive broadband providers to reach residential and business customers in multiple tenant environment (MTEs), as well as urging the FCC to move forward with USF contribution reform in order to stabilize this country’s most critical connectivity programs and decrease the burden on telecom customers.

INCOMPAS also urged policymakers to continue finding ways to open new spectrum resources and, where possible, enable spectrum sharing so that industry can bring paradigm-shifting services like 5G, fixed wireless and fixed satellite service to market.

FCC Issues NPRM on CPNI Data Breach Rules

The FCC issued an NPRM on strengthening the rules for notifying customers and federal law enforcement of breaches of customer proprietary network information.

The NPRM proposes:

Eliminating the current seven business day mandatory waiting period for notifying customers of a breach
Clarifying the rules to require consumer notification by carriers of inadvertent breaches
Requiring notification of all reportable breaches to the FCC, FBI and U.S. Secret Service
Making consistent revisions to the TRS data breach reporting rule

It also seeks comment on whether to require customer breach notices to include specific categories of information to help ensure they contain actionable information useful to the consumer. Comments are due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register; reply comments are due 60 days after publication.

FCC Establishes Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs

The FCC issued an order last week establishing the Space Bureau and the Office of International Affairs, and eliminating the International Bureau.

The Space Bureau will handle policy and licensing matters related to satellite communications and other in-space activities under the FCC’s jurisdiction. The Office of International Affairs will handle issues involving foreign and international regulatory authorities, as well as international telecommunications and submarine cable licensing.

The FCC also made changes to certain parts of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and Office of Managing Director. Additionally, the FCC made non-substantive rule revisions to reflect changes in FCC procedures and modernize certain references to the chairperson of the FCC.

FCC Submits Report to Congress on Reimbursement Program

The FCC submitted a report to Congress on the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, prepared by the Wireline Competition Bureau. The report provided information on implementation of the program by the FCC, and the work by recipients of reimbursements under the program to permanently remove, replace and dispose of covered communications equipment or services in their networks.

Jan. 19 Webinar on How Minority-Serving Institutions Can Help Shape State Broadband and Digital Equity Plans and Initiatives

On January 19 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET, the NTIA Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives (OMBI) will host a webinar to help attendees learn how to be involved in NTIA initiatives to further broadband access and digital equity in their communities. OMBI works with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and their educational and community partners to promote broadband connectivity, digital opportunities, and inclusive innovation in historically underrepresented and marginalized communities.

This webinar will provide an overview of OMBI; the NTIA Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program; and the NTIA Digital Equity (DE) Programs. NTIA will provide guidance on how attendees and stakeholders can become involved in these initiatives and directly participate in state, local and regional planning efforts around broadband and digital equity. Speakers include:

Kevin Hughes, Acting Director, Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives, NTIA
Evan Feinman, Director of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment BEAD Program, NTIA
Angela Thi Bennett, Digital Equity Director, NTIA

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Named Chair of House Energy

House Republicans named Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) as Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Additionally, the Steering Committee appointed the following new members to serve on the committee:

Rep. August Pfulger (TX)
Rep. Randy Weber (TX)
Rep. Rick Allen (GA)
Rep. Troy Balderson (OH)
Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID)
Rep. Kat Cammack (FL)
Rep. Diane Harshbarger (TN)
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA)
Rep. Jay Obernolte (CA)

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