ITA Weekly Update
July 20, 2012
Thank You ITA 2012 All Event Sponsors:
In Today's Newsletter:
Adelstein Praises Efficiencies and Impact of Rural Providers
Media Interviews Continue this Week
Industry News:
Google to Launch 1-Gig FTTH Service Next Week
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Member News:
Liberty Communications' Brad Melick to Retire
Early Bird Convention Registration Through July 31st
Don’t miss the ITA Annual Video Conference
FCC Update:
Genachowski Responds to Senate Letter
Video Provider News:
Mediacom Seeks Service Area Revisions
IUB Update:
IUB Seeks Telecom Manager
IUB Grants Windstream Numbering Waiver
Other IUB Filings
Adelstein Praises Efficiencies and Impact of Rural Providers
In testimony before the House Small Business Committee on Wednesday, Jonathan
Adelstein, Administrator of the USDA Rural Utilities Service program said that "the
inherent efficiency of smaller, community-focused telecommunications service
providers that challenge the conventional wisdom and why consolidation, in itself,
should not be a policy objective."
Adelstein pointed out that rural local exchange carriers "have achieved an
impressive level of operational efficiency" through partnerships with NECA, other
industry trade associations, and a network of highly specialized and highly talented
consulting engineers, accountants, lawyers and cost consultants.
Adelstein testified that rural telecommunications providers focus on service, and
have "a history of working with schools, business and the community to contribute
to growth and stronger economies." He pointed to a recent study by USDA's
Economic Research Service on the economic effects of having broadband access in
rural communities entitled "Broadband Internet's Value for Rural America" that
concluded that employment growth was higher and non-farm private earnings
greater in counties with a longer history of broadband availability.
Click here to read Adelstein’s testimony.
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Media Interviews Continue this Week
Several ITA leaders from throughout the state represented the industry's Iowa
LinkedUp media tour that moved to Eastern Iowa this week.
While the interviews focused on the Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities
areas, more stories appeared as a result of last week's interviews in Central Iowa.
Click these links to read stories from KGLO Radio (Mason City)/KJAN Radio
(Atlantic), KWMT Radio in Ft. Dodge, the Ft. Dodge Messenger, the Des
Moines Register and Radio Iowa.
This week, Farmer's Cooperative Telephone's Mark Harvey did an interview with
KWWL-TV in Waterloo that ran in Wednesday evening's news. The story featured a
representative of the Tama-Benton Coop, one of Farmers' customers, who discussed
the importance of broadband in the community. Click here to watch this story.
Curt Eldred of Clarence Telephone Company did an interview with the Cedar
RapidsGazette on Wednesday, and WTC Communications' Mark Peterson and
Liberty Communications' Jerry Melick met with a reporter from the Quad
City Times and the Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus Thursday. Next week,
industry spokespersons will appear on the Ryan Schlader program on WMT Radio in
Cedar Rapids at 10:00 am Wednesday and an opinion-editorial will be submitted to
the Des Moines Register and to the Corridor Business Journal that serves the Cedar
Rapids/Iowa City area.
The tour takes a bit of a break over the next couple of weeks. Interviews in Western
Iowa are scheduled for the week of August 6th.
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Industry News
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Google to Launch 1-Gig FTTH Service Next Week
According to industry reports, Google will launch its Google Fiber network in Kansas
City on July 26th. Google Fiber is the much-anticipated fiber-to-the-home network
that will offer users a full gigabit connection. Industry observers speculate that
Google is interested in this beta-test so that it will have real data on what it costs to
build and operate a wireline network, giving it ammunition in arguments about
whether content providers like Google should pay to access networks. Other
observers suggest that Google has installed an IPTV-capable head-end in Council
Bluffs capable of feeding a video package to the KC area.
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Member News
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Liberty Communications' Brad Melick to Retire
Brad Melick has officially worked at Liberty Communications since 1975. He started
mowing lawns and tinkering around there long before that. Brad was the lead
switch technician for over 30 years. He was also a great install/repair tech, and was
always ready to take care of any technical problem that cropped up in the office or
with customers. Brad will remain a director of Liberty Communications and
continue his role as Chairman of the Board. Although he probably put the flannel
aside for his trips to Des Moines and the ITA Conventions, around Liberty
Communications he's famous for always sporting a flannel shirt.
Liberty Communications is hosting a Retirement Party for Brad on August 3rd from
4:00 to 6:00 pm. Click here to view the invitation.
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Early Bird Convention Registration Discount Available Through July 31st
The annual convention and trade show Taking Care of Business is scheduled for
November 4-6 at the Downtown Marriott in Des Moines. Sponsorship and trade
show booth registration information has been mailed to all ITA Associate Members
and is also available online.
The Convention Committee is busy planning the agenda and events for the
convention. The draft agenda and preliminary registration information is available
on the ITA website. Register by July 31st to receive $20 off per registrant.
Hotel Reservations
The ITA Block at the Des Moines Marriott opens September 4th. The ITA Room
Block rate at the Marriott is $114 per night. If you would like to reserve your rooms
now you may reserve rooms at the following nearby hotels:
· Resaissance Des Moines Savery $112 per night call 800-514-4706
· Hyatt Place $149 per night call (515) 282-5555
Be sure to ask for the ITA rate when reserving your rooms. All hotel
accommodations must be made directly with the Des Moines Marriott, Renaissance
Savery and/or the hotel of your choice.
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Don’t miss the ITA Annual Video Conference
September 5, 2012 at the Urbandale Hilton Garden Inn
This conference offers you an opportunity to hear expert advice and commentary
from industry experts and industry peers who are making video services work.
First up on the conference agenda is:
Federal, Legal and Regulatory Update
Presented by
John Pietila, Davis Brown Law Firm
Small video providers face significant challenges associated with the shifting legal
and regulatory environment for CATV, IPTV and OTT service providers. John Pietila
will provide timely updates and share his advice concerning the impact of federal
legal and regulatory issues, including retransmission consent, consumer privacy,
cable copyright, EAS and CALM Act.
The full conference agenda and registration information is available on the ITA
website. Click here for more details.
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FCC Update
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Genachowski Responds to Senate Letter
On April 3rd, Senators Harkin and Grassley joined 17 other Senators in requesting
that the FCC "immediately act" to remedy concerns they have with the FCC’s ICCUSF Transformation Order. ITA reported on Chairman Genachowski’s response of
July 2nd directed to Senator Grassley in our July 6th ITA Update.
Some media reports have now picked up on the Chairman’s response to all 17
Senators. As further information on the earlier ITA story, it should be noted that
the original letter from the 19 Senators listed five specific points which they asked
the FCC immediately act to remedy these concerns by clarifying that:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
It will not implement additional reductions in USF and ICC support pursuant
to the Further Notice until the implications of the reforms and reductions
adopted in the recent Order can be properly evaluated and understood;
Its Order will ensure that lawfully incurred investments and operating
expenses are not jeopardized by retroactive rule changes;
It will not deem any investments or expenses unlawful, imprudent or not
"used and useful" when such investments have been made in accordance with
federal agency standards and mandates;
It will adopt a clear-cut and non-burdensome waiver mechanism that will
allow cost recovery for carrier investments made in line with federal standards
and mandates;
It will adopt a sustainable and predictable broadband oriented Connect
America Fund for rural areas served by smaller rural and other types of
carriers as it did for those served by larger carriers.
Chairman Genachowski’s July 2nd response did not address any of these points
directly, but generally said the Commission has made some modifications to the
Transformation Order based on rural concerns. Genachowski’s letter ended by
summing up the Commission’s position by saying,
"Even as we continue to make necessary adjustments, in order to extend
broadband to unserved rural communities while ensuring fiscal responsibility,
it is important to keep moving forward with implementation of the
Commission's reforms. As we do so, the Commission will continue to run a fair,
open process in which the valid concerns of stakeholders are addressed
working closely with affected carriers to ensure that residents of the nation's
rural and high-cost areas receive the quality voice and broadband services that
all Americans need."
Click here to read his letter.
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Video Provider News
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Mediacom Seeks Service Area Revisions
Mediacom filed with the IUB this week two notices of service area revision for
Clarion and Eagle Grove, Iowa. Mediacom files as an incumbent video provider
seeking to convert its municipal franchise into a state-issued certificate based on
the notice of Goldfield Communications to offer video services in Clarion and Eagle
Grove.
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IUB Update
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IUB Seeks Telecom Manager
The Iowa Utilities Board has re-opened its search for Manager of the
Telecommunications Section. A detailed job description and salary information may
be found on the State’s website at http://das.hre.iowa.gov/state_jobs.html, and
reference vacancy No. 11052BR. Applicants must apply on-line by August 14, 2012.
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IUB Grants Windstream Numbering Waiver
On June 27, 2012, Windstream filed a request for a waiver of the number utilization
threshold requirements for the Gravity, Iowa, rate center to deploy new packet
switches using USDA’s BIP award. Windstream stated that the packet switches
require their own location routing numbers (LRNs) that are distinct from the LRNs
currently assigned to Windstream’s time division multiplexing (TDM) switches.
NeuStar had denied Windstream’s request because it did not show that it has a
minimum utilization rate of 75 percent or less than a six-month inventory of
numbers in the relevant rate center.
The IUB ruled that since Windstream has provided documentation of its request for
the new telephone numbers as well as appropriate statements regarding number
utilization in the Gravity rate center, and it has demonstrated that it cannot meet its
specific need for numbers with its existing inventory of numbers, it was appropriate
to overrule NeuStar and issue the waiver. Click here to read the Order.
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Other IUB Filings
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Cox Iowa Telecom Files Amended VoIP Tariff Pages. Cox Iowa Telcom,
L.L.C. d/b/a Cox Communications filed revised pages to its Access Services
Tariff No. 2 to comply with the FCC’s Access Recon Order. Click here to read
the new VoIP Tariff sheets.
IUB Recognizes dishNET Name Change. This week, the IUB issued an
Order recognizing the corporate name change of Liberty-Bell Telecom d/b/a
DISH Network Phone and Internet to dishNET Wireline LLC. The IUB issued a
revised certificate and approved the revised tariff to reflect this change.
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