Consumer Advisory Committee -- 5th and Final Meeting November 3, 2006

This is an unofficial summary of the FCC's Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) 5th and final time on Friday, November 3, 2006. The Committee's official site can be found at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cac/. For additional information, contact Scott Marshall, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 202-418-2809 (voice) or 202-418-0179 (TTY), scott.marshall@fcc.gov (e-mail).

Monica Desai, the FCC's Consumer & Government Affairs Bureau Chief, highlighted some of the recent Commission actions since the CAC last met in July. Concerning the CAC, she said that she expected the Committee would be rechartered soon. (The CAC's current charter expires at the end of November 2006.) However, Call for Action's Shirley Rooker, who has chaired the Committee since its inception as the Consumer/Disability Telecommunications Advisory Committee in March 2001, announced she will not return as chair.

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps also addressed the Committee. He thanked the members for their public service saying the Committee has been "proactive, self-led, aggressive, and oh-so-relevant with its laser-beam focus on issues that really count for consumers, for all our citizens." But he added that the FCC "has a way to go in giving proper recognition to these communities and to their members, and to according the recommendations they make the kind of... prompt response their deserve." He promised that he would do his best to make sure that the CAC's recommendations get "the attention they are owed."

The CAC adopted the following recommenations:

• Concerning Media Ownership rules, the CAC adopted one recommendation:
  • On the 2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review of the Commission's Media Ownership Rules. The recommendation asks the FCC to adopt media ownership rules that promote: 1) Local ownership of broadcast outlets; 2) Competition as manifested through increased responsiveness to community needs and increased diversity of programming; and 3) Ownership opportunities for minorities, women and people with disabilities. In addition, the recommendation reiterates the CAC's previous call to compile a complete record and issue specific rules changes for public comment -- and asks the Commission to aggressively enforce its media ownership rules. See http://www.benton.org/benton_files/ownershipamended.doc
• Concerning access for people with disabilities, the CAC adopted three recommendations:
  • The CAC requests that the FCC rescind the Anglers Exemption Order and all 297 grants of exemption based on it, and require that the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau individually review each undue burden exemption petition to determine if an undue burden will result before granting such petition. The CAC also requests that the Bureau be instructed to place all current and future exemption petitions on public notice.
  • The CAC requests that the FCC withdraw the August 7, 2006 clarification notice, and reclarify that video programming producers/distributors otherwise required to provide, and those who are providing, real-time captioning of their live news programming must use captioning to make their emergency programming visually accessible to people with hearing loss.
  • The Consumer Advisory Committee formally endorsed the definition of “effective communication”, and requests that the FCC takes the lead in promoting this initiative with other appropriate federal agencies.

  For more on the CAC's Disability Access Working Group and their report to the Committee see http://www.benton.org/benton_files/DisabilityWgReport.doc

• Concerning the effectiveness of future Consumer Advisory Committees:
  • The CAC recommended important changes and improvements that can increase the value of the CAC to the Commission, and increase the ability of the CAC to effectively serve the interests of communications consumers in the United States. These changes are: 1) Enhancing the FCC's CAC website with additional information on adopted recommendations and their implementation, 2) Improved follow-up on recommendations after adoption, 3) Better communication between the CAC and the FCC's Chairman, 4) Attendance by relevant Commission staff members at CAC meetings, and 5) Increased guidance from individual FCC Commissioners and the Commission as a whole. See http://www.benton.org/benton_files/effectiveness.doc
• Concerning access for people in rural and underserved areas, the CAC adopted three recommendations:
  • Emergency Alerts and Crisis Telecommunications: Members of the Consumer Advisory Committee urge that FCC crisis telecommunications planning addresses not only emergency telecom infrastructure but also the critical “last link” – the local connection process which transforms official alert messages into timely notice and clear guidance for the safety of communities, households, and individuals. See http://www.benton.org/benton_files/ruraleas.doc
  • News Syndication Technology: The Consumer Advisory Committee recommends that FCC Commissioners and staff assess the benefits and adopt the use of Internet syndication technology, such as RSS, to enable easier access to, and more effective dissemination of, all public information available from the FCC. We feel this will help encourage and enable wider and more effective participation of consumers and citizens in FCC public policy considerations. We further recommend the use of appropriate electronic communications technologies to expedite and improve the awareness and sharing of relevant information among Consumer Advisory Committee members, CAC working groups, and FCC staff.
  • General Principles of Implementation for Universal Service Reform: If recharterd, the CAC committed to an examination of adding high-speed, broadband Internet access to the services supported by the Federal Universal Service Fund. See http://www.benton.org/benton_files/universalservice.doc
• Concerning Telecommunications Relay Service, the CAC adopted three recommendations:
  • On Speech-to-Speech Petition filed by Dr. Bob Segalman and Rebecca Ladew. The Consumer Advisory Council requests that the FCC release the Petition filed by Dr. Bob Segalman and Rebecca Ladew immediately for comment. In addition, the Consumer Advisory Council supports the petition and requests that the FCC act expeditiously in making this rule change. The request to require a Speech to Speech Communication Assistant to stay with a call for 20 minutes rather than 15 minutes is without burden or additional cost. The result is better service for Speech to Speech relay users who find it very difficult when a Communication Assistant change takes place on a call. As a result, the Consumer Advisory Council supports this petition and asks that the FCC to quickly resolve this matter.
  • In the Matter of Telecommunications Relay Service and Speech-to-Speech Services for Inviduals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities. The CAC approved a formal filing in CG Docket No. 03-123. Read the comments at http://www.benton.org/benton_files/trsratemethodology.doc
  • Concerning E911 Access Issues for Individuals Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The CAC endorsed a September 5, 2006 letter sent to FCC Chairman Martin by the TDI E9-1-1 Stakeholder Council. In the letter, the Council urged the Commission to act swiftly to require VRS and IP Relay providers to ensure that people with hearing or speech disabilities who use VRS and IP Relay services can call 9-1-1 and have the call connected to the most appropriate public safety answering point (PSAP). The Council also urged the Commission to immediately take action to require the provision of direct access to the E9-1-1 system for people with hearing or speech disabilities using various video and text communication technologies.
  • Concerning future CAC work on TRS issues, the CAC identified the following issues for possible review: Provide feedback to an open FCC item regarding IP and VRS fraud; Provide feedback to an open FCC item regarding a standard numbering system for internet based relay services; Encourage the FCC to order VoIP and Internet Service Providers to pay into the Interstate TRS Relay Fund; Assist the FCC in determining appropriate penalty calculations for non-compliant relay providers; Assist the FCC to expand the “Lifeline” program to broadband services; Determine if a standard CA numbering system would be useful to relay consumers.