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ACA: FCC Prevent Gatekeepers From Impeding Access To Rights Of Way
The American Cable Association called on the Federal Communications Commission to take firm action against public and private entities that impede broadband deployment by demanding excessive fees to access rights of way or taking unacceptably long amounts of time to process necessary forms and applications, causing frustrating delays and adding substantially to costs.
"The need for an FCC response is crucial because ACA members have identified many restrictions, delays, excessive fees and competitively discriminatory policies imposed by private and public entities when seeking to extend service to new communities," ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said. "ACA members face real problems that the FCC needs to address, including unfair, unreasonable and discriminatory treatment at the hands of inhospitable gatekeepers."
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ACA Calls On FCC To Remove Regulatory Barriers To Cable-CLEC Combinations
The American Cable Association is urging the Federal Communications Commission to promote choice, efficiency and competition in telecommunications services by adopting regulations that would eliminate obstructions to mergers between cable operators and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) in markets traditionally dominated by large incumbent carriers.
"Alliances between cable companies and CLECs can promote greater facilities-based competition with the big telcos and other providers, encouraging lower rates, higher quality, and more innovative service offerings," ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said. "The likelihood of any antitrust concerns with such arrangements is remote because cable companies and CLECs serve different customer segments, and cable companies and CLECs are non-dominant providers of local telecommunications services."
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- Month-Old Cable Retrans Dispute Drags On For WALA, WFNA (al.com, 9/30)
Two Mobile-based television stations have been off one of southwest Alabama's largest cable providers for a month now, and it remained unknown whether the underlying contractual dispute will be resolved anytime soon.
- Verizon Sues To Scuttle Net Neutrality Rules (Politico, 9/30)
Verizon on Friday appealed the FCC’s net neutrality order, formally getting the ball rolling on the expected court battle over the controversial Internet rules.
- Republicans Looking To Recapture Broadband Grants From Stimulus Bill (The Hill, 9/30)
House Republicans next week will seek to pass legislation that would require federal agencies to terminate grants aimed at expanding broadband access.
- WOW! Takes North Central Region In J.D. Power Residential Phone Survey (FierceCable, 9/29)
Bright House Networks, Cox Communications and other cable MSOs are beating AT&T (NYSE: T), Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and other telcos in customer satisfaction for telephone service, according to a J.D. Power and Associates survey released Thursday.
- Mediacom Fights Loss Of LIN TV Stations With Free Sports Programming (FierceCable, 9/29)
One month into a dispute with LIN TV that has seen it lose stations affiliated with CBS, Fox and other networks, Mediacom Communications says it has managed to curb subscriber losses by offering customers in Florida, Michigan and Indiana free sports programming.
- FCC Could Find Itself Really Shorthanded (NationalJournal, 9/29)
The Federal Communications Commission could end up with only three members at the end of this year if the Obama administration and Congress fail to act to fill two open seats on the five-member panel.
- More Calls For FTC Investigation Of Facebook (Multichannel News, 9/29)
Add the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the ACLU, the American Library Association, the Center for Digital Democracy and a half dozen other groups to those calling for a Federal Trade commission investigation of Facebook.
- Mediacom Asks FCC To Step In To Prevent Blackouts During Retrans Disputes (Broadcasting & Cable, 9/28)
Mediacom is not taking the FCC's "no authority" for an answer and even says it might try to get an independent panel of legal experts to vet the FCC's so far unsatisfactory response.
- Ringgold Telephone Shutters IPTV Over Retrans Fees (Light Reading, 9/28)
Digital Home Summit -- Ringgold Telephone Co. Inc. , a tiny independent telco in northeastern Georgia, pioneered IPTV deployment in 2003, years ahead of larger telcos such as AT&T Inc.
- Retransmission Consent Fees Grew 46.7 Percent In 2010 To $1.03 Billion (TVB Television Broadcast, 9/28)
The broadcast TV industry will take a hit this year but grow steadily through 2015, according to the latest forecast from Veronis Suhler Stevenson.
- Comcast Testing Theme-Based Cable Packages In CT; A National First For Choice? (Courant.com, 9/28)
Comcast is rolling out a theme-based cable TV menu — MyTV Choice — that allows consumers to fine-tune their channel selections, a step the company says is the first of its kind in the nation.
- In Switch, Cable Operators Want To Go A La Carte (Reuters, 9/27)
Cable operators are privately working on a plan to force programmers to unbundle their networks and allow customers to subscribe to channels on an individual basis.
For more news, visit the Headlines Page on the ACA website.
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| About ACA |
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Across this vast country, small and rural markets participate in the digital revolution by receiving video, broadband, and phone services from nearly 900 small and medium-sized independent operators represented by the American Cable Association (ACA).
ACA’s members -- cable, phone, and fiber-to-the-home operators and municipalities -- deliver affordable basic and advanced services to about 7.6 million households and businesses. ACA members operate in every state, offering high-definition television, next generation Internet access, and digital phone service.
Access to advanced communications is not a luxury but a critical necessity for consumers and companies, schools and hospitals. America’s economic prosperity in smaller markets and rural areas depends on the growth and success of ACA members, who believe a connected nation, is a united nation.
The ACA asks lawmakers and regulators to ensure fair treatment so that small and medium-sized independent operators may continue to supply affordable video, broadband, and phone services to Main Street America. Through active participation in the policymaking process, ACA members and leaders advocate for the interests of their customers, their companies, and their communities to help ensure the continued viability of their way of life in hometown America.
For more information, visit www.americancable.org, or contact:
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