Encouraging cross-jurisdictional cooperation in the E-rate program would have the benefits of “reduced costs, greater efficiency -- and ultimately connecting more students and libraries to quality high-speed broadband throughout the nation,” said the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) in a filing (http://bit.ly/1dV8K4E) in FCC docket 13-184. There is “little incentive for local districts to participate in consortia applications that facilitate cross-jurisdictional collaboration or other bulk purchasing opportunities,” said NASCIO. An example of the benefits is the “Network Nebraska-Education” initiative, a partnership between the Nebraska Office of the Chief Information Officer, the University of Nebraska, and school districts across the state, NASCIO said. In its seventh year, the network connects 89 percent of public K-12 education schools, all of public higher education institutions, and half of private colleges in the state on a single IP network. The FCC should prioritize state consortia buyers by expediting their funding applications, reviews and processing and by awarding additional percentage points to consortium applications, NASCIO said. “Adding a financial incentive to create consortia, such as an increased percentage reimbursement for consortium applications, will simplify the program over the long term, drive costs down, and ultimately save time and money for both federal and local stakeholders."

Comptel praised an interconnection agreement (http://bit.ly/1pMHaYZ) that AT&T Michigan and Sprint Spectrum submitted Tuesday to the Michigan Public Service Commission, which includes Sprint’s position that AT&T has to allow IP-to-IP interconnection between the companies. But in the filing, AT&T Michigan said it “continues to object to the contract provisions proposed by Sprint (http://bit.ly/PjAmEY) .... The provisions are contrary to the requirements of Section 251 [of the Telecommunications Act] and therefore must be rejected.” The PSC ruled Dec. 6 (http://bit.ly/1k7xkBc) (CD Dec 10 p12) that AT&T has to reach an IP interconnection agreement with Sprint. Under a proposed agreement filed Feb. 25 (CD Feb 27 p16), the sides agreed all traffic Sprint exchanges with AT&T would be delivered in TDM format. They left the IP dispute in the air, saying if they can’t resolve the issue, they may amend the agreement in July to include IP interconnection. The PSC rejected the Feb. 25 agreement on March 18 (http://tinyurl.com/nmuglcw) (CD March 19 p19), saying the sides have to file with the commission any contingency agreement they might have. AT&T’s Tuesday filing said it was only submitting the agreement because the PSC was requiring one be filed. “A competitor has finally been able to exercise its statutory right to interconnect with a major ILEC on an IP basis, an action that spurs the transition and allows consumers to further benefit from this innovative technology,” said Comptel CEO Chip Pickering in a press release (http://bit.ly/QGpG4B). “The Michigan PSC is to be praised for being the first state to stand up to AT&T and force it to comply with its IP interconnection obligations under the ‘96 Act. We hope this action serves as a precedent for other states and the FCC to follow so that carriers’ rights to IP interconnection for voice communications are honored nationwide.” AT&T Michigan had no comment. A Sprint spokesman declined comment.

A California bill requiring that smartphones and tablets sold in the state include theft-deterring technology passed the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee by a 6-2 vote on Tuesday. SB-962 (http://bit.ly/1i0TKOj), sponsored by Sen. Mark Leno, a Democrat, requires that smartphones and tablets sold beginning Jan. 1, 2015, come with a kill switch that would render them useless if stolen. “Smartphone robberies have become epidemic in cities across California, mainly because there is a financial incentive to steal and then resell these valuable devices on the black market,” Leno said in a news release. More than 65 percent of all robberies in San Francisco, and 75 percent in Oakland, involve the theft of a mobile device, it said.

Immediate implementation of the results of an FCC urban rate survey (CD March 21 p14) would lead to a dramatic increase in the residential phone rates that many small eligible telecom carriers (ETCs) in Washington state and across the U.S. must have in place by July 1, said the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (http://bit.ly/1hvLUzF). The ETCs must have the rates in place to continue to receive the full level of high-cost loop support (HCLS) provided from the Connect America Fund (CAF). The contemplated increase in the urban rate floor from $14 per month to $20.46 monthly would be a dramatic price increase implemented within a very short period of time, said the Washington commission in comments posted Tuesday in FCC docket 10-90. It said implementation of the new urban rate floor should be delayed and then phased in. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) also expressed concern (http://bit.ly/Pe6biP) about the $6.46 rate floor increase, saying standalone phone service is price-regulated in the state. ILECs that have received basic local exchange service (BLES) pricing flexibility may increase their BLES rate by no more than $1.25 during any 12-month period, leaving them short of meeting the threshold to receive full-level HCLS, said PUCO’s comments also posted in the docket Tuesday. “If the benchmark rate continues to increase at a proportionately higher level than Ohio ILEC BLES rate increases, these carriers will never reach the benchmark rate, resulting in many of Ohio’s small, rural ILECs losing an ever-increasing amount of the high-cost support upon which they heavily rely to provide quality telecommunications services."

Kentucky’s HB-391 (http://1.usa.gov/1ffha5p), which would increase prepaid wireless fees to help fund 911 services, would “sock” poor state residents, said Consumer Action and the Community Action Partnership in a news release (http://prn.to/1dKEKZ9) Friday. The measure would raise the prepaid fees from 70 cents per $50 of service to $1 for each $20 of service. The Kentucky League of Cities and law enforcement organizations support (http://bit.ly/1gHQuuY) the bill, saying landline and wireless fees that fund 911 services have declined as more people phase out landlines. The fee’s wireless portion hasn’t been raised since 1998. “Consumer Action and the Community Action Partnership support the work of Kentucky police officers, firefighters, and other emergency responders and E-911,” the news release from the consumer organizations said. “But a punitive tax on prepaid cell phones that would disproportionately harm Kentucky’s senior citizens (particularly those on fixed incomes), veterans, the disabled, and low-income residents seems like the wrong solution to the challenge of paying for E-911.”

New York telecom companies have made improvements to maintain or restore service after natural disasters like Superstorm Sandy, said a report Thursday to the New York State Public Service Commission. From the Department of Public Service, the report cited the companies’ use of newer technologies like Facebook to communicate with customers, and improved communications between the telcos and utilities. The actions address findings made by the Moreland Commission on Utility Storm Preparation and Response created by Governor Andrew Cuomo (D). “New York’s telecommunication companies have been working steadily to improve future restoration and response efforts during and following storms and other emergencies,” said PSC Chairwoman Audrey Zibelman in a news release (http://tinyurl.com/p2eylaj). “As part of this continuing effort, the Commission will work to enhance communication and coordination between the communications companies and electric utilities to ensure rapid emergency response and service restoration."

A Colorado bill that would set the stage for telcos to be excused from carrier-of-last-resort (COLR) obligations in two years, if the state Public Utilities Commission deems an area competitive, passed the House Business Committee Tuesday. Under HB-1331 (http://tinyurl.com/o2fse9x), sponsored by state Rep. Angela Williams, a Democrat, the PUC would also no longer have regulatory authority over issues like service quality in areas deemed competitive. In areas not deemed competitive, and where the PUC provides support, providers would still be subject to COLR obligations, but could meet the obligation by providing voice service through any technology, not just traditional landlines. The bill is one of several deregulation measures in state legislatures this year (CD March 19 p12). HB-1331 is among five Colorado telecom bills that passed the committee Tuesday (http://tinyurl.com/ppmvw5g).

The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) applauded FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s announcement (CD Feb 24 p1) that the commission may examine restrictions on cities and towns to offer broadband services (GN Docket No. 14-28) (http://tinyurl.com/ndck8d3) Wednesday. “As we have seen, robust broadband networks bring economic vitality and a wealth of new services to the communities they serve. But state barriers to community broadband initiatives prevent municipalities from working with private broadband providers, or developing networks themselves, to provide these services to their residents and businesses,” NATOA wrote in its FCC filing.

Strengthened state merger laws reportedly being considered by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat (http://tinyurl.com/nmlzyx7), wouldn’t be a “meaningful new hurdle” for Comcast’s plan to buy Time Warner Cable, wrote analyst Paul Gallant of Guggenheim Partners in a research note Wednesday. The New York State Public Service Commission would have more authority to block the deal, and the development may be worth monitoring “simply because New York has historically been effective at regulating various sectors when it views federal authorities as insufficiently protective of consumers,” Gallant wrote. A new burden of proof that the transaction would be in the interest of state residents would be higher than present law, but would be the same burden of proof to win FCC approval, Gallant wrote. “The FCC is likely to approve the merger with conditions because (in our view) there is no clear competitive harm from this merger. This is just as true in New York -- consumers post-merger will have the same number of pay TV and broadband choices.” Any new law may force bigger concessions from the companies “but would not increase the chance of outright deal rejection by the NY” PSC, he wrote. Gallant also said Comcast’s NBCUniversal is a major unionized employer in the state, “which we expect will be a very helpful political consideration as New York regulators evaluate the Comcast-TWC merger.” Cuomo’s office on Thursday told us state law now puts the burden of proof on companies to show a gas or electric transaction would be in the public interest. For cable deals, the burden is on the PSC to show it would cause harm. The proposed change would shift the burden to cable companies as well. “This measure brings the PSC’s authority over cable mergers in line with its existing powers to regulate gas and electric company mergers. By doing so, we're modernizing New York’s laws to reflect the realities of New York’s marketplace,” an administration official said in a statement. Cuomo, in a recording of a news briefing released by his office, denied the proposed change was spurred by the proposed Comcast/Time Warner Cable.

Comptel backed the Michigan Public Service Commission decision Tuesday (CD March 19 p19) requiring AT&T Michigan and Sprint to file an interconnection agreement with the agency. “By requiring IP interconnection agreements to be publicly filed and enabling others to simply opt into them, the Michigan PSC is fulfilling its role under the Telecom Act, making it easier for carriers to focus on their core business of serving consumers and ensuring that AT&T cannot discriminate in the marketplace,” said Comptel CEO Chip Pickering in a statement Wednesday (http://tinyurl.com/pls5mda). “Simplifying and speeding the process of interconnection will save carriers time and money, and ultimately benefit consumers.” He called the ruling “a defining moment as the communications industry transitions to IP technology” that “sets a precedent for other states to follow.” The PSC rejected a proposed interconnection agreement between the companies to resolve an IP interconnection dispute (http://tinyurl.com/nmuglcw) in which Sprint had sought a ruling saying AT&T was obligated under the 1996 Telecom Act to interconnect to it. “Sprint appreciates the work conducted by the Michigan Public Service Commission on IP Interconnection issues,” is “closely reviewing” the decision and will respond shortly to the agency, said a spokesman in a statement Tuesday. An AT&T Michigan spokesman declined comment.