Accessible Canada Act – June 1 Filing Deadline for All TSPs, Ensure CRTC Compliance
All telecommunications service providers (TSPs) and broadcasters registered with the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) must comply with the CRTC’s first June 1, 2022, deadline pursuant to the Accessible Canada Act (ACA). TSPs and Broadcasters with at least 10 employees must act by June 1, 2022 deadline TSPs and broadcasters with at least 10 […]
First CRTC STIR/SHAKEN Status Reports Due May 31, 2022, from All Canadian TSPs
All Telecommunications Service Providers (TSPs) in Canada must fully implement STIR/SHAKEN as a condition of providing or offering service. On May 31, 2022, impacted TSPs must submit their first post-implementation STIR/SHAKEN status report. CRTC STIR/SHAKEN Requirements Cover All TSPs CRTC Decision 2021-123, which requires Canadian TSPs to implement STIR/SHAKEN to authenticate and verify caller ID […]
First Accessible Canada Act Deadline Approaching – Ensure Compliance Before the June 1 Deadline
Canadian telecommunications service providers (TSPs) and broadcasters with at least ten employees will soon need to take their first steps to begin compliance with the Accessible Canada Act (Act) and Telecom and Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2021-215, which provides the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) regulations implementing the Act. June 1, 2022 marks the […]
FCC Seeks Comments on “Interoperability” of Video Conferencing Service under the CVAA; Expansion of TRS Rules on the Horizon?
On April 27, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or “Commission”) released a Public Notice inviting public comments to refresh the record on the scope of FCC regulations, implementing the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (“CVAA”), that require interoperable video conferencing services to be accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. Although […]
FCC Expands Efforts to Combat Illegal Robocalls: Calls on Congress for More Enforcement Authority
In her continuing effort to protect consumers from illegal robocalls and malicious caller ID spoofing, late last month FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote a letter to Congress, seeking additional authority to prosecute suspects, including “the ability to seize assets to stop them in their tracks and the authority to enable the Commission to go to […]
FCC Upholds USAC’s Interpretation of the Affiliate Filer Rule: Could Your Company Lose the Exemption?
On April 5, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC” or “Commission”) Wireline Competition Bureau (“WCB” or “Bureau”) unexpectedly issued an Order denying BA Telecom’s appeal challenging the Limited International Revenue Exception (“LIRE”) Affiliate Rule’s application to BA Telecom’s Universal Service Fund (“USF”) contributor affiliates. The Order impacts investment decisions of all telecom carriers and interconnected […]
The Opportunities and Risks of 10 Digit-Long Codes and Bulk Business Text Messaging
Earlier this year, Linda McReynolds, Of Counsel to Marashlian & Donahue, participated in a webinar hosted by the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA). Ms. McReynolds spoke about the potential opportunities and risks of ten-digit long codes (10DLC), which allow companies to directly text their customers through local numbers. Ahead of the webinar, Ms. McReynolds also recorded […]
Biden Signs the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act Into Law, Bringing New Cyber Reporting Requirements
On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, President Biden signed the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 into law. The law, which was passed by Congress on March 10, constitutes the most comprehensive regulation of cybersecurity infrastructure yet. Under the Act, covered entities are required to report certain cyber incidents and ransom payments to […]
New STIR/SHAKEN Deadline for “Non-Facilities-Based” Voice Service Resellers is Rapidly Approaching: Compliance Action Required
The FCC’s Fourth STIR/SHAKEN Report and Order (“R&O”) went into effect on February 24, 2022. As explained in an earlier Advisory the R&O shortens the current two-year extension for some categories of small voice service providers (“SVSPs,” those with 100,000 or fewer voice service subscriber lines) to fully implement the STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication standards. […]
FCC Announces Proposed USF Contribution Factor of 23.8% for Q2 2022
The Federal Communications Commission announced the proposed universal service contribution factor for the second quarter of 2022 will be 23.8%. If your company has any questions or would like to engage in a Communications Taxes & Fees “Optimization” or learn about other Operational Best Practices to potentially minimize the economic impact of federal USF contribution […]
Public Knowledge Asks the FCC to Reclassify I-VoIP as a Title II Common Carrier Service, Implicating a Potential Onslaught of Onerous Federal and State Regulatory Obligations
On Wednesday, March 2, 2022, Public Knowledge, a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote open access to the Internet and other communications tools, filed a Petition for Declaratory Ruling with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking the Commission to classify interconnected Voice Over Internet Protocol (I-VoIP) services as Title II common carrier services. If the […]
The FCC Seeks Comments About the Costs and Effectiveness of Border Gateway Protocol Security Measures
On Monday, February 28, 2022, the Federal Communications (FCC) released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) asking for comments from the public regarding the sufficiency of the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and the steps, if any, the FCC should take to protect and strengthen the nation’s independently managed networks from hijackers. Changes in this area could […]
Incremental Action Foreshadows Greater Future Broadband Competition Scrutiny in Multiple Tenant Environments
On February 15, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Report and Order and Declaratory Ruling (Order) intended to promote broadband competition and benefit people living and working in apartments, condos, office buildings, and other multiple tenant environment (MTE) buildings. Specifically, the Order: Adopts new rules prohibiting providers from entering into certain revenue-sharing agreements […]
FCC Withdraws STIR/SHAKEN Exemptions From Vonage and Bandwidth for Failure to Update Networks
On Thursday, February 17, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission released an Order that withdrew STIR/SHAKEN exemptions from two voice service providers, Vonage and Bandwidth. The FCC found that these providers failed to fully implement STIR/SHAKEN following the period of leniency granted to them by the exemption. The FCC has referred Vonage and Bandwidth to the […]
FCC Slams IK Communications with a $100,000 Fine for Failure to Respond to LOI and Failure to File 499-A Forms Over 6 Years
On Thursday, February 17, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) that detailed the proposed penalty assigned to IK Communications, a New Jersey-based prepaid calling card provider, for failure to file annual Telecommunications Reporting Worksheets (Worksheets) with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to support the FCC’s […]
FCC Steps Up Enforcement of Illegal Robocalls: Demands Carriers Immediate Cease Transmissions and Collaborates with State AGs to Broaden Dragnet
In its continuing efforts to combat unlawful robocalls and malicious caller ID spoofing, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) is sending out a flurry of cease-and-desist letters to entities that are transmitting illegal robocalls, and is working with State Attorneys General to “build robocalling partnerships” to enhance enforcement efforts. Robocall Suspects are Being Investigated and Threatened […]
