CommLaw Monitor
GAO Audit Finds USAC Audits Lacking in Controls
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a study of the FCC's e-rate program controls. The GAO study recommended that the FCC conduct a "robust risk assessment" of its e-rate program and revise the…
Compliance Reminder: Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet Due November 1
What: FCC Form 499Q: Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet - Quarterly Filing for Universal Service Contributors. Contributors must project 1Q telecommunications revenues for 2011 and report actual telecommunications…
FCC Completes "Mystery Fees" Investigation of Verizon Wireless Data Charges
This order stands in stark contrast to the nominal CPNI settlements, odd refund provisions and low-ball forfeiture penalties we've discussed in this blog. Today, the FCC announced an eye-popping $25 million settlement…
Interconnected VoIP Providers Getting One Free Bite
What are the ramifications of the FCC's refusal to classify interconnected VoIP? For one, it complicates the job of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau. As a recent Citation to Vantage Communications shows, the failure to…
FCC Clarifies "Carrier" Definition In Prepaid Context
In a recent USF appeal, the FCC agreed with a prepaid card "platform provider" that each of its customers, not the platform provider, is the "carrier" for Universal Service purposes. The FCC ruled, however, that the…