Peter : On Rad's Radar?
Peter
| Peter Radizeski of RAD-INFO, Inc. talking telecom, Cloud, VoIP, CLEC, and The Channel.

FCC

Is Cbeyond in Trouble?

July 27, 2009

On Andrew Left's blog, he points to a 100+ page FTC complaint from customers of Cbeyond. Maybe he isn't familiar with telecom, because most carriers have numerous complaints at the FCC. LNP (porting numbers) is a growing concern which the FCC addressed "Simple Ports" in May. If he thinks, CBEY has a thick file maybe he should check out the consumer complaints against wireless companies on LNP, fees, and contracts.

Left also alleges that CBEY is under a law enforcement investigation. Then he makes a comment about how this should be in an 8-k filing.

It's an AT&T Monday

July 27, 2009

This week starts with AT&T being sued and boycotted.

First up is STS Telecom's FCC complaint alleging fraud, discrimination, and unfair competitive practices by AT&T. Apparently, the FTC nor DOJ won't accept any anti-trust complaints against the LEC Giants. We don't want to rewind to 1984 do we?

STS Telecom alleges in the complaint that AT&T failed to comply with Congress's much embattled Telecommunications Act of 1996 in refusing to provide STS fair and reasonable access to various telecommunication services. As a result, AT&T severely restricted STS' access to Florida's profitable residential and small business markets.




Occam Podcast about the NOFA

July 21, 2009

UCF Should be like Speeding

July 9, 2009

Verizon's Forbearance Strategy

July 8, 2009

Doug Mohney tweeted this morning that Verizon has a 7-day repair window which may be why they are losing landlines. I would suggest that the RBOC have been lobbying since 282 Relief for Forbearance relief as well - at both the state and federal level. For the most part they have won. 

Gone is the regulation for most telecom services in most states, which means the state PUC cannot deem that POTS lines be fixed in 24 hours (the old standard), especially when Digital Voice (VOIP) is dependent on broadband that does not have an SLA or mean-time-to-repair.

After VZ's 6-city forbearance petition was struck down in 2007, VZ legal took it to the court system and won a review by the FCC.

By letting landlines go, the majority of the existing POTS type service will go to cable or other providers, which would almost insure that VZ would get forbearance on a new review. Slick and devious.





Why Can't DC See What We See

June 26, 2009

I'm not the brightest guy in the world. Yet over and over I see politicians and regulators make decisions that the other 99% of the US knows will be bad news. One such decision: approving the sale of Verizon's New England region to Fairpoint.

For one thing, agents can no longer sell in that region because Fairpoint thinks they can sell better than a telecom agent can. Ha!

Birch Ownership

June 1, 2009

From an FCC Filing by Birch:

On May 11, 2009, Birch Communications, Inc. (f/k/a Access Integrated Networks, Inc.), Birch Telecom, Inc. (BTI), and BTI's certificated subsidiaries, and Cleartel Communications, Inc. and its subsidiaries, Cleartel Telecommunications, Inc., IDS Telcom Corp., nii communications, ltd., Now Communications, Inc., Supra Telecommunications and Information Systems, Inc., and Telecon Communications Corporation, filed an application pursuant to section 63.03 of the Commission's rules seeking approval to complete a proposed transaction whereby Assignees will acquire substantially all of the customers, customer accounts, and telecommunications assets of Assignors.

The interesting part is this statement: "BTI is a Delaware corporation, and together with its subsidiaries, is wholly-owned by BCI, a Georgia corporation. .. The following U.S.

Who says the FCC is cleaning up USF Abuse?

May 21, 2009

The FCC is cleaning up USF abuse. Here's two culprits:

MS. CYNTHIA K. AYER. Debarred Ayer from the schools and libraries universal service support mechanism for three (3) years from the debarment date.

Video Competition at the FCC

April 9, 2009

FCC Broadband Policy Beginnings

April 9, 2009

As the FCC, USDA, and NTIA get set to disburse $7.2 billion in moneys to telecommunications companies for broadband deployment, penetration, and mapping along with E-Rate type services and tele-medicine, the FCC has to actually come up with a National Broadband Strategy.
"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act charged the FCC with creating a plan to give all Americans access to broadband. The FCC began the effort, which will include a series of hearings and meetings, on Wednesday by asking for public comment. The FCC must present the plan to lawmakers by Feb. 17, 2010." [Infoweek]
One would have thought that former FCC Chairman Martin would have put a national policy in place, but all he had was a chalk board with "ideas" or guidelines that the telcos could ignore. Now acting FCC Chair Copps has been tasked and he takes this seriously.
"This commission has never, I believe, received a more serious charge than the one to spearhead development of a national broadband plan," FCC Chairman Michael Copps said in a statement Wednesday.


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