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WCB Broadband Initiatives

Initiatives

Open Internet

Investment Incentives

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IP Services

Broadband Data Collection

Wireline Competition Bureau
Broadband Initiatives

Preserving and Promoting the Vibrant and Open Character of the Internet

04/16/2007
FCC Launches Inquiry into Broadband Market Practices. The Commission today begins an inquiry to better understand the behavior of participants in the market for broadband services.
NOI: Word | Acrobat
News Release (3/22/07): Word | Acrobat
Martin Statement: Word | Acrobat
Copps Statement: Word | Acrobat
Adelstein Statement: Word | Acrobat
Tate Statement: Word | Acrobat
McDowell Statement: Word | Acrobat

09/23/2005
Internet Policy Statement. The Commission adopted a policy statement that outlines four principles to encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of public Internet.
Press Release (8/5/05): Word | Acrobat
Martin Press Statement (8/5/05): Word | Acrobat
Policy Statement: Word | Acrobat
Statements on Internet Policy Statement and Wireline Broadband Order:
Martin Statement: Word | Acrobat
Abernathy Statement: Word | Acrobat
Copps Statement: Word | Acrobat
Adelstein Statement: Word | Acrobat

Increasing Incentives for Investment in Broadband Networks

7/25/08
FCC Denies Qwest Forbearance Requests for Four Metropolitan Areas.
MO&O: Word | Acrobat
Martin Statement: Word | Acrobat
Copps Statement: Word | Acrobat
Adelstein Statement: Word | Acrobat

10/24/2007
FCC Grants Embarq, Frontier and Citizens Forbearance Order. The Commission granted substantial forbearance relief to Embarq, Frontier and Citizens with regard to their existing packet-switched broadband telecommunications services and their existing optical transmission services. The Commission also relieved the companies of their tariffing obligations under the Computer Inquiry rules in connection with these services, but require their compliance with the Computer Inquiry obligations that apply to all non-incumbent local exchange carrier, facilities-based wireline carriers.
Order: Word | Acrobat
Martin Statement: Word | Acrobat
Copps and Adelstein Joint Statement: Word | Acrobat

10/12/2007
FCC Grants AT&T Forbearance Order. The Commission granted substantial forbearance relief to AT&T with regard to its existing packet-switched broadband telecommunications services and its existing optical transmission services. The Commission also relieved AT&T of its obligations under the Computer Inquiry rules in connection with these services, conditioned on its compliance with the Computer Inquiry obligations that apply to all non-incumbent local exchange carrier, facilities-based wireline carriers.
Order: Word | Acrobat
Martin Statement: Word | Acrobat
Copps & Adelstein Joint Statement: Word | Acrobat
Tate Statement: Word |Acrobat
McDowell Statement: Word | Acrobat

10/14/2005
Verizon Fast-Packet Order. The Commission waived certain requirements under its price cap rules and regulations to allow Verizon to exercise pricing flexibility for advanced services that rely on packet technology, similar to the pricing flexibility that it has for other special access services.
Order: Word | Acrobat

03/25/2005
BellSouth “Naked DSL” Petition. The Commission found that a state commission may not require an incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC) to provide digital subscriber line (DSL) service to an end-user customer over the same unbundled network element (UNE) loop facility that a competitive LEC uses to provide voice services to that end user. State decisions that impose such an obligation are inconsistent with and substantially prevent the implementation of the Commission’s federal unbundling rules and policies set forth in the Triennial Review Order.
Order: Word | Acrobat

10/27/2004
Section 271 Fiber Unbundling Relief. The Commission provided regulatory consistency for new fiber networks installed by the Regional Bell Operating Companies by providing the same relief from unbundling obligations under Section 271 of the Act that the Commission provided under Section 251 in the Triennial Review Order.
Press Release: Word | Acrobat
Order: Word | Acrobat

10/18/2004
Fiber-to-the-Curb. The Commission relieved incumbent wireline providers from unbundling requirements for fiber-to-the-curb loops. These loops, where fiber optic cable is extended to the neighborhood but not the premises, can deliver many of the same benefits as fiber-to-the-home.
Press Release: Word | Acrobat
Order: Word | Acrobat

08/09/2004
Fiber to Multiple Dwelling Units. The Commission extended the Triennial Review Order’s FTTH unbundling relief to apartment buildings and other multiple dwelling units.
Press Release: Word | Acrobat
Order: Word | Acrobat

08/21/2003
Triennial Review Order. The Commission provided incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) substantial unbundling relief for loops utilizing fiber facilities. The Commission determined that incumbent LECs do not have to unbundle certain broadband elements, including fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) loops in greenfield situations, broadband services over FTTH loops in overbuild situations, the packetized portion of hybrid loops, and packet switching. The Commission, in applying the unbundling standard of section 251(d)(2) of the Act, considered the directive of section 706 that it provide incentives for investment in broadband facilities, and concluded that these facilities should not be unbundled.
Press Release: Word | Acrobat
Attachment: Word | Acrobat
Order: Word | Acrobat

Establishing Regulatory Parity for Broadband Technologies

08/07/2006
Broadband over Power Line. The Commission declared that Broadband over Power Line (BPL)-enabled Internet access service is an information service. The action places BPL-enabled Internet access service on an equal regulatory footing with other broadband services, such as cable modem service and DSL Internet access service.
Press Release: Word | Acrobat
Order: Word | Acrobat

09/23/2005
Wireline Broadband Internet Access. The Commission established a new regulatory framework for wireline broadband Internet access services, which are commonly delivered by digital subscriber line technology, known as DSL. The Commission’s action placed DSL and other wireline broadband Internet access services on an equal regulatory footing with cable modem service, consistent with a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the Commission’s light regulatory treatment of cable modem service.
Press Release: Word | Acrobat
Order: Word | Acrobat

Speeding Deployment of Internet Protocol-based Services

11/12/2004
Vonage Minnesota Order. The Commission preempted an order of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission applying its traditional telephone company regulations to Vonage’s DigitalVoice service, which provides voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service and other communications capabilities.
Order: Word | Acrobat

03/10/2004
IP Enabled Services Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The Commission sought comment on the appropriate legal classification and regulatory treatment of Internet Protocol-enabled services, such as Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP.
Press Release:Word | Acrobat
Order: Word | Acrobat

Improving Data Collection to Monitor Broadband Deployment

Broadband Data Reports

03/19/2008
FCC Expands, Improves Broadband Data Collection.
(Industry Analysis and Technology Division)
News Release: Word | Acrobat
WCB Open Meeting Presentation: Acrobat
Martin Statement on Broadband Data & 706 Report: Word | Acrobat
Copps Statement on Broadband Data: Word | Acrobat
Copps Statement on 706 Report: Word | Acrobat
Adelstein Statement on Broadband Data: Word | Acrobat
Adelstein Statement on 706 Report: Word | Acrobat
Tate Statement on Broadband Data: Word | Acrobat
Tate Statement on 706 Report: Word | Acrobat
McDowell Statement on Broadband Data: Word | Acrobat
McDowell Statement Broadband on 706 Report: Word | Acrobat