Staff Subcommittee on Telecommunications

Closed Session – States Issues Updates & Planning

Networking Break

Current Issues:  Reports from NARUC

• Litigation Report - Brad Ramsay, NARUC
• Legislative Report - Brian O'Hara, NARUC

Joint Board & NRRI Reports

• Separations - George Young, Vermont
• Universal Service - Labros Pilalis, Pennsylvania
• 706 Joint Conference - Bill Johnston, California
• NANC - Carolee Hall, Idaho
• NRRI - Sherry Lichtenberg

Subgroup Reports

• Consumer Issues - Kerri DeYoung Phillips, Massachusetts
• Cyber Security - John McClain, Department of Homeland Security
• Federal Regulation & Legislation - Joe Witmer, Pennsylvania
• Numbering - Bonnie Johnson, Minnesota
• State Regulation - Robin Ancona, Michigan
• Technology & Service Quality - Teresa Ferguson, Colorado

Panel I:  Business Data Services - Is the “Long-Broken”               Regulatory Regime Fixed?

After first opening a proceeding in 2004, a long awaited order, rules, and further proposed rulemaking have been circulated by the FCC Chairman with a proposed “fix” to the regulatory regime that governs the multi-billion dollar market for Business Data Services (BDS). Previously labeled “special access,” these enterprise services enable dedicated network connections for mobile phone service backhaul, large businesses, governments, and community anchor institutions.  This panel will explore whether or not the new framework will indeed support new and emerging competition through “light handed” and “targeted” regulation and whether additional regulatory adjustments are necessary.

Moderator: Sherry Lichtenberg, NRRI

Panelists:  
Lisa Hensley Eckert, Director of Public Affairs, CenturyLink

Mike Skrivan, VP Regulatory, Fairpoint Communications

Pam Hollick, Associate General Counsel, State Public Policy, Level 3

Roy Lathrop, Senior Director, State Government Affairs, NCTA

Panel II:  Network Reliability/Outages – The State Experience

The rapid explosion of wireless, I/P and other technologies has created an incredible variety of voice, data and video communications capabilities, but only through a highly complex web of interconnected networks and services.  These intertwined networks and services have introduced significant new challenges for policy makers, regulators, and telecom companies in ensuring public safety and consumer satisfaction through end-to-end network reliability, outage reporting and consumer communications. This panel of State PUC Staff experts will discuss the issues being faced in their states, whether recent FCC efforts have been successful and what more could be done between government and industry to address the issues.

Moderator: Lynn Notarianni, Colorado

Panelists:
Bill Johnston, California

Cullen Robbins, Nebraska

Rebecca Beaton, Washington