Verizon issued a transparency report for the second half of 2015 on the types of information demands it receives from government and the types of data it discloses in response. "We received almost 140,000 demands for customer information from United States law enforcement," the telco said in a release Monday on the U.S. and international reports. "The number of demands that we have received each year has been fairly stable since we made our first report three years ago. In fact, over this period, the number of demands in each category we report (i.e., warrants, orders, subpoenas) has also been generally consistent. Protecting our customers’ privacy will always be a bedrock commitment at Verizon. While we have a legal obligation to provide customer information to law enforcement in response to lawful demands, we take seriously our duty to provide such information only when authorized by law."

USTelecom said it's starting a campaign to urge the FCC to consider the "enormous growth and investment" in the business marketplace as it conducts its special access review. "Newly released 2013 data collected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) show a multitude of providers -- cable, fiber and fixed wireless -- compete for business customers in a thriving marketplace," a release said. Competition is working and prices are declining for backhaul and other special access services, USTelecom said. "A major game-changer is entry of the nation’s major cable operators, which are using their large network footprints to serve multiple business locations," the group said. "New competition from cable and other providers isn’t captured in the FCC’s 2013 data, which at best provides a snapshot of a single point in time. In just the last two years -- 2014 and 2015 -- cable business service units have invested an estimated $6 billion in capital, while competitive fiber providers an estimated $9 billion." It urged the FCC to recognize the marketplace changes and modernize its policies. Comments in the FCC's broad special access rulemaking were due Friday but haven't been posted yet because the agency is closed due to Winter Storm Jonas.

Vonage moved to support an FCC order giving interconnected VoIP providers direct access to phone numbers, in the face of a legal challenge from NARUC in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (see 1601050050). Vonage said its ability to compete in the voice services market would be impaired if NARUC's petition for review is granted. "Having direct access to telephone numbers allows Vonage to reduce reliance on third-party vendors, achieve direct interconnection with other telecommunications providers, and retain control over call routing and the quality of service provided to customers," the company said in a court motion Thursday seeking permission to intervene in support of the commission in the case (NARUC v. FCC, No. 15-1497). Vonage said direct numbering access allows for provision of higher-quality and lower-cost services. Even a partial reversal of the FCC order could be harmful if it delays implementation of the order, the company said.

The second webcast under the Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA) Transition Outreach Plan will be Wednesday, 3-4 p.m. EST, the FCC Wireline Bureau said in a public notice Thursday. The webcast will be hosted by officials of PricewatershouseCoopers, which is the transition oversight manager, the PN said. The company's officials discussed their general outreach efforts on a Dec. 9 webcast (see 1512090076).

Comments to the FCC are due Feb. 4, replies Feb. 16 on an IDT Telecom petition for a rulemaking on possible changes to the contribution methodology for the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service Fund, said a notice in the Federal Register Wednesday. In an effort to strengthen the TRS Fund revenue base, IDT wants the commission to include intrastate revenue in calculating industry contributions and remove a requirement that video relay services be recovered from only interstate and international revenue. The FCC docket is 03-123.

Level 3 pressed the FCC to resolve an intercarrier compensation fight between LECs and interexchange carriers (IXCs) over intraMTA (major trading area) wireline-wireless traffic, an issue that's sparking continued litigation. Some LECs, "encouraged by a recent district court decision that has created yet more confusion and disagreement in the industry," filed suit against Level 3, the company said in a filing posted Friday in docket 14-228 summarizing a meeting with FCC officials. While Level 3 is confident of its legal position, "there is no reason" that it and others "should be forced to litigate this matter," the company said. A federal judge last fall granted a LEC motion to dismiss Sprint and Verizon federal claims and concluded LECs can charge IXCs access fees under their federal tariffs (see 1511200070). Level 3 and other IXCs believe intraMTA traffic should be subject to lower reciprocal compensation fees under FCC precedent, but they want the commission to clarify its position (see 1512110055). Noting it also operates as a local carrier, Level 3 said it could be forced to file suit as a LEC unless its interpretation prevails. Separately, Level 3 urged the FCC to adopt the company's proposals to enhance disclosure by broadband Internet access service providers. First, ISPs capable of measuring performance across their interconnections to other networks should calculate "average performance for each destination network" and disclose their performance "with the best, median, and slowest" averages, the company said in a filing posted Friday in docket 14-28 about a meeting at the FCC. "That will help ensure consumers are not misled by reported 'average' performance figures that mask significant variations in actual performance to different parts of the Internet," Level 3 said. "In addition, ISPs should disclose a Connectivity Rating that would help consumers understand whether there is a significant likelihood that performance to some parts of the Internet could become degraded during peak hours because of a lack of adequate interconnection capacity." NCTA has opposed the requests (see 1512220033).

Two wireless companies asked the FCC to delay use of an Oklahoma map that will reduce the scope of areas in the state eligible for enhanced tribal Lifeline USF support. Assist Wireless and Easy Wireless backed a request by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (see 1511190020) for an extension of the Feb. 9 FCC deadline for applying the Oklahoma Historical Map to tribal Lifeline support, which offers a $34.25 monthly subsidy for low-income subscriber service instead of the general $9.25/month subsidy. But instead of the OCC's proposed 90-day extension, the FCC should provide a 180-day extension, Assist and Easy said in a filing posted Monday in docket 11-42. "The new map contains poorly-defined borders that have made it impossible to implement," the wireless companies said. "The Commission’s post-hoc consultation with Tribal Nations also has made it futile to even attempt to transition to the new map because the Commission has yet to announce publicly whether that consultation will result in modifications to the boundaries (poorly) depicted in the new map." The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently denied Assist's request to stay implementation of the deadline pending further judicial review (Assist Wireless v. FCC, No. 15-1324). In an order, the court also set a schedule for briefs, with petitioners' brief due Feb. 9.

Comments are due at the FCC by Feb. 16 on an AT&T request to discontinue certain operator services throughout the U.S., said a Wireline Bureau public notice posted Friday in docket 16-13. AT&T's application will be deemed granted March 15 unless the commission notifies the company otherwise, the PN said. Citing declining demand, AT&T plans to discontinue collect calling, person-to-person calling and four other operator-assisted services to retail customers on or after March 18 and to wholesale customers on or after June 4 (see 1601070023).

Bell Fibe TV customers in Montréal, Ottawa, Québec City and Toronto can buy Bell's new 4K DVR for C$599 (about $413) with capacity to record up to 150 hours of 4K content and Bluetooth remote-control support, the Canadian telco said in a Monday announcement. The DVR will be "ready" for high dynamic range “as the next step in broadcast technology becomes available,” it said. By late February, availability of the DVR for purchase or rent will be expanded to all and new and existing Bell Fibe TV customers and to Bell Aliant FibreOP TV customers in Atlantic Canada, it said. With the new DVR and an Ultra HD TV, Fibe TV customers “can enjoy a growing range of 4K content from Bell Media and other providers,” including Wednesday’s TSN live telecast in 4K of the Toronto Raptors-Boston Celtics NBA game, it said. “Live 4K production is a bold new frontier for the TV industry, intensifying the live sports viewing experience with enhanced motion detail, increased screen pixel counts, and greater brightness range.”

The Alaska Telephone Association called on the FCC to adopt the group's proposals to encourage broadband deployment in the state (the "Alaska Plan"). The commission should approve the Alaska Plan when it overhauls USF support mechanisms for rural rate-of-return carriers, the ATA said in a filing posted Monday in docket 10-90. "In adopting the Plan, the Commission should freeze support at 2011 levels adjusted to account for corporate operations expense limits and the $250 cap per line per month, and include both the incumbent LEC and CETC [competitive eligible telecom carrier] components," said the group, which called the proposals a "carefully coordinated and unified approach" to reforming support for both wireline ILECs and mobile CETCs. General Communications backed the Alaska Plan, the company said in a filing posted Friday on a meeting with agency officials.