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This report summarizes the information collected about telephone services as of June 30, 2012. It demonstrates continued growth in subscribership to interconnected VoIP and mobile telephony services and continued decline in subscribership to traditional wired telephone services. Retail local telephone service customers are served by two wireline technologies – “end-user” switched access lines and interconnected VoIP “subscriptions” – and by mobile wireless subscriptions.
- In June 2012, there were 102 million end-user switched access lines in service, 39 million interconnected VoIP subscriptions, and 303 million mobile subscriptions in the United States, or 444 million retail local telephone service connections in total.
- Over the three-year period presented in Figure 1, interconnected VoIP subscriptions increased at a compound annual growth rate of 18%, mobile telephony subscriptions increased at a compound annual growth rate of 5%, and retail switched access lines declined at about 9% a year.
- Of the 141 million wireline retail local telephone service connections (including both switched access lines and interconnected VoIP subscriptions) in June 2012, 81 million (or 57%) were residential connections and 60 million (or 43%) were business connections.
- Cross-classified by technology and customer type, the 141 million wireline retail local telephone service connections in June 2012 were: 34% residential switched access lines, 38% business switched access lines, 23% residential interconnected VoIP subscriptions, and 5% business interconnected VoIP subscriptions.
FCC Releases Local Telephone Competition Report
In this Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Managing Director (OMD) announces that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the third quarter of 2013 will be 0.151 or 15.1 percent.
Proposed Third Quarter 2013 Universal Service Contribution Factor
Since the iPad arrived more than three years ago, Wi-Fi-only versions of the tablet have been far more popular than cellular-capable models. But things may finally be swinging in a different direction. Data use coming from iPads has grown four times in just the last six months, according to data gleaned from mobile network operators by U.K.-based analytics software company Actix. And for the first time, there are two different iPad models among the top 10 most data-hungry devices, which has always only had smartphones on it.
It’s not the latest 4G-capable iPad that’s eating up all this data, though, it’s older 3G models: the iPad 2 and iPad 3 are now No. 6 and No. 7, respectively, on this list, says Actix; the rest are smartphones. There has never been a tablet, much less two, on the list of the most mobile data-hungry devices before. Actix gets this information from software it runs on the networks of eight carriers: one European, one Middle Eastern, two American and four based in the Asia Pacific region. Why is this number suddenly growing just since the end of 2012, when the iPad 2 has been around since early 2011 and the iPad 3 since early 2012? Mobile broadband subscriptions grew 45 percent faster in the first three months of 2013 than a year earlier, according to a recently published study by Ericsson.
Cellular iPads consume 3x the mobile data as smartphones
A top Disney executive told a Congressional subcommittee that the company does not require distributors to carry low-rated networks in order to gain access to popular ones. But a DirecTV executive said there is an element of bundling involved in negotiations, including with penetration requirements.
“I’ve signed three affidavits attesting to the fact that we do not employ what is commonly known as tying,” said Ben Pyne, president of global distribution at Disney Media Networks. Without referring to Disney in particular, DirecTV Executive Vice President Mike Palkovic said large programmers offer the satellite operator a single price for all of their channels (including local stations). If it wanted to carry selected ones, it would not be economical, he said.
Disney Says No Bundling In Carriage Deals, DirecTV Claims A la Carte Isn't Economical
More than a year after work was halted on seven public-safety LTE networks, negotiations with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) for spectrum lease agreements that are needed to restart the programs remain unresolved.
FirstNet announced that it extended the negotiation period for 700 MHz spectrum lease agreements through July 12, which is five months after it first authorized such discussions. On Feb.12, 2013, FirstNet's board authorized Sue Swenson to cut deals with seven Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) public-safety funding recipients over a 90-day period. On May 8, the board extended the negotiation period through June 12. However, Swenson, a FirstNet board member, subsequently reported that she and each of the recipients have concluded that an additional 30-day extension of the negotiation period is necessary.
FirstNet allows more time for BTOP spectrum-lease negotiations
Former White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra lost in his primary election bid to become the Democratic Party's nominee for lieutenant governor in Virginia.
Characteristically, Chopra posted his concession and congratulations to his Democratic opponent, pediatric neurologist and two-term State Sen. Dr. Ralph Northam, on Twitter: “Congratulations to Senator @RalphNortham on his victory tonight. I'm looking forward to working together to win in November. #Unity.” Chopra's might-have-been opponent, Republican nominee E.W. Jackson, who did not have a primary opponent, tried to link the former White House technology chief with the breaking scandal over revelations the National Security Agency has been storing records of Americans' phone calls and Internet activities in a program called PRISM.
Former White House CTO Aneesh Chopra loses primary bid for Virginia lieutenant governor
News outlets often have an adversarial relationship with the government, a longstanding tension underscored most recently by the Obama administration’s pursuit of leaks to the Associated Press and Fox News Channel and the decisions of the Washington Post and the Guardian newspapers to publish National Security Agency documents. Nevertheless, it might come as a surprise to know that the government historically has provided some financial assistance to the news media. And according to a Pew Research Center survey, many leaders of the growing nonprofit news sector say they would welcome such assistance. A plurality of those surveyed, 39% of the nonprofit news outlets, said they favor “some form of government subsidies” to help fund organizations like theirs. More than a quarter (28%) said they were not sure. And another 30% said they oppose government subsidies to help finance nonprofit news outlets.
Nonprofit news organizations: some want government subsidy
Workshop on Reforming Inmate Calling Services Rates
Federal Communications Commission
July 10, 2013
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db0613/DA-1...
To gather additional data on inmate calling services, the Commission will hold a workshop on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. This workshop will focus, among other things, on the impact of current ICS rates on inmates and their families, a review of state reforms of ICS rates, and a discussion regarding the cost of providing service and how to balance the needs of consumers and correctional facilities.
Welcome (9:00 AM): FCC Staff
Opening Remarks (9:15 AM): Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn
Panel 1 (9:30 AM): Consumers and Public Policy – This panel will explore individual and societal impacts of ICS rates, rate reform, and increased contact between incarcerated individuals and their families.
Moderator:
Deena Shetler, Associate Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau
Panelists:
- Alex Friedmann, Associate Director, Human Rights Defense Center & Managing Editor, Prison Legal News
- The Honorable Patrick A. Hope, Member, Virginia House of Delegates
- Cheryl Leanza, President, A Learned Hand, LLC on behalf of United
- Church of Christ’s media justice and communications rights ministry
- Talila Lewis, Founder and President, Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf (HEARD)
- Tim Meade, President and Chief Executive Officer, Millicorp
- Charlie Sullivan, Founder, Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE)
Remarks from Dignitaries
- The Honorable Bobby Rush
- The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton
(11:00 AM): Lunch Break
Panel 2 (1:00 PM): State Actions to Reform Inmate Calling Services Rates – This panel will focus on issues addressed by states that have undertaken ICS rate reform. In particular, the panel will explore how rates have been set within those states, what the reform process has been, and how existing contracts and site commissions have been taken into account. The panel will also consider concerns that have arisen with disability-related calling and how states are addressing those challenges.
Moderator:
Commissioner John Burke, Chair, NARUC Committee on Telecommunications & Vermont Public Service Board
Panelists:
- Commissioner Anne C. Boyle, Nebraska Public Service Commission
- amalia Deloney, Associate Director, The Center for Media Justice
- The Honorable Patrick A. Hope, Member, Virginia House of Delegates
- Former Commissioner Jason Marks, New Mexico Public Regulation Commission
Afternoon Remarks (2:30 PM): Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel
Panel 3 (2:40 PM): Providing Inmate Calling Services – This panel will consider how ICS is evolving to drive efficiencies while providing service responsive to the unique needs of correctional facilities. This panel will explore the costs of providing service, including costs that may apply individually or be shared among facilities as well as how costs vary across type and size of correctional facilities.
Moderator:
Commissioner Anne C. Boyle, Nebraska Public Service Commission
Panelists:
- Mitch Lucas, Assistant Sheriff, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (SC) & 1st Vice President, American Jail Association
- Lee G. Petro, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
- Richard Torgersrud, Chief Executive Officer, Telmate, LLC
- Vincent Townsend, President, Pay Tel Communications, Inc.
- Peter Wagner, Executive Director, Prison Policy Initiative
Closing Remarks (4:00 PM): Julie Veach, Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau
THIS MEETING IS RESCHEDULED FOR JULY 25, 2013
Multistakeholder Meetings to Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile Application Transparency (July 2013)
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Department of Commerce
July 9, 2013
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time
The July 9, 2013 meeting is part of a series of NTIA convened multistakeholder discussions concerning mobile application transparency. Stakeholders will engage in an open, transparent, consensus driven process to develop a code of conduct regarding mobile application transparency.
THIS MEETING IS RESCHEDULED FOR JULY 25, 2013
Senate Commerce Committee
June 18 2013
2:30 PM
Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV announced the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing on the nomination of Mr. Thomas Wheeler to be Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.