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Telecom
Bond: White House seems flexible on immunity for telecoms over wiretaps
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 8:12pmThe White House appears willing to compromise on the issue of retroactive immunity for telephone firms that joined the Bush administration’s wiretapping program, said Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO). The fight over whether the phone companies that helped in national security surveillance should be given immunity from lawsuits has prevented Republicans and Democrats from reaching an agreement to overhaul the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
Domestic spying far outpaces terrorism prosecutions
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 12, 2008 - 7:34amThe number of Americans being secretly wiretapped or having their financial and other records reviewed by the government has continued to increase as officials aggressively use powers approved after the Sept.
Senators argue against reverse auctions for universal service
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 9, 2008 - 7:02amA bipartisan group of senators led Sen Byron Dorgan (D-ND) has written Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin urging him to abandon a plan to use reverse auctions to award universal service fund support to eligible telecom carriers in rural areas.
Congressional action heats up on FISA
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 9, 2008 - 6:59amTelecom companies have presented congressional Democrats with a set of proposals on how to provide immunity to the businesses that participated in a controversial government electronic surveillance program. House officials declined to discuss the specifics of the proposed immunity language by the telecoms.
Colorado PUC granted expanded power
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 8, 2008 - 7:58amThe Colorado Public Utilities Commission will gain the power to limit local, basic phone rates in the state under a bill that passed the Colorado legislature this week. The legislation reauthorizing all the powers of the PUC removes a state law capping base phone rates and instead puts rate limits in the regulatory body's duties.
USF: Behind the Times
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 7, 2008 - 7:50amIt is very frustrating that we haven't been able to find a way to redirect the USF to focus on the deployment of broadband. Even more frustrating is that it's not like this is one of these issues where the incumbents are fighting any change.
Interim Cap Clears Path for Comprehensive Universal Service Fund Reform
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 5, 2008 - 7:32amIn the wake of adopting an interim cap on payments to competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) under the Universal Service Fund (Fund), the Federal Communications Commission says it has taken a crucial first step toward comprehensive reform of Universal Service and intercarrier compensation, two carrier compensation regimes that are directly interrelated.
Fewer phones, more broadband: FCC struggling to fix USF
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 5, 2008 - 7:32amA divided Federal Communications Commission has put a cap on Universal Service Fund (USF) payouts, but even the agency's majority calls it a stop-gap measure for a program in serious trouble.
Why The 'Right' Gets Net Neutrality Wrong
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 5, 2008 - 7:30amWhat do conservatives have against Network Neutrality?
Federal Communications Commission Caps Cell Phone Company USF Payments
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 2, 2008 - 7:16am"Any day now" became Thursday night for the Federal Communications Commission which agreed to temporarily cap the Universal Service Fund, a growing subsidy program that paid nearly $1.2 billion last year to cell phone companies that do business in rural areas.
