One company that’s happy about inter-carrier compensation reforms detailed in the FCC’s recent Connect America Fund order (FCC adopts Universal Service and inter-carrier compensation reform order) is Neutral Tandem. (more…)
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Archive for the ‘Independent’ Category
North State Communications’ plan to purchase DataChambers continues a trend
As non-rural Independent telcos, North State Communications and WVT Communications Group have a common bond. And today they gained another commonality. (more…)
Gig U sees positive responses to ultra-high-speed network RFI
The Gig U project said late last week that it has received “dozens of favorable responses” to its request for information (RFI) seeking approaches for accelerating the deployment of ultra-high-speed networks to university communities around the country. (more…)
Washington D.C. gains 100 Gb/s network—in the middle mile, that is
The District of Columbia has turned up the first link of a 100 Gb/s network that is expected to connect every ward in the city by June 2013. Network construction was funded through a $17.5 million broadband stimulus grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (more…)
FCC outlines plans for discounted computers for low-income users
Redemtech, a little-known Ohio-based company, plans to make refurbished “business class” computers available for $150 to low-income users, FCC officials said today. In addition, Microsoft plans to make laptops available for educational use for $250 beginning next year, the officials said. (more…)
Universal Service reform order has bad news for Halo Wireless
The Universal Service and inter-carrier compensation reform order recently issued by the FCC contains some bad news for Halo Wireless, the company that offers wholesale voice termination services that enable at least one enhanced service provider customer to avoid paying long-distance access charges (CP: Halo Wireless defends access charge avoidance methodology). Halo Wireless claimed its mode of operation is legal because it re-originates long-distance calls placed by its ESP customer’s customers through its mobile network infrastructure, thereby converting the calls into local calls. (more…)
Universal Service reform order targets 6 Mb/s broadband speed in certain cases
After staunchly defending a 4 Mb/s downstream- 1 Mb/s upstream target broadband speed for the planned broadband Universal Service program for nearly two years, the FCC signaled in the recently issued Universal Service reform order that it may be wavering just a little bit. (more…)
Day three of new Net Neutrality regime and no complaints yet
Today marks the third day since FCC-imposed Net Neutrality rules went into effect and there have been no reports yet of anyone accusing anyone else of not complying with the rules.
We thought we might hear something from Consumers Union and Media Access Project—two consumer groups that expressed concerns earlier this year that a tiered pricing plan from MetroPCS might be a Net Neutrality violation (CP: Net Neutrality tables turned this time). (more…)
Community network advocates defeat Comcast in Longmont, Colo.
Community network advocates scored a win against Comcast this week, when the citizens of Longmont, Colo., voted to allow the city to partner with alternative cable and Internet companies to deliver broadband services over a fiber network constructed by the city in cooperation with a local utility company back in the late 1990s. (more…)
Consumer group unhappy with Universal Service reforms
Although most telecom industry stakeholders found something to like in the FCC’s plan to transition today’s Universal Service program into a broadband-focused fund (CP: Carriers see good and bad in Universal Service reform order), a key consumer group was considerably less positive. (more…)