FCC Order on Submarine Cable Fees Falls Off Sonar
The apparent disappearance of an FCC order on submarine cable regulatory fees has riled supporters of an industry proposal signed by AT&T, Verizon, Level 3 and several private submarine cable operators, an industry official close to the proceeding said. Supporters of the proposal expected the FCC to release an order in early October, the official said. But the item still hasn’t surfaced on the eighth floor, and industry officials have heard conflicting reports on whether the order is even written, the person said. Many on the eighth floor don’t know where the order is or why there’s been a holdup, either, an FCC official said.
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The industry proposal, unopposed since it was filed in late September, carves out a new submarine cable systems fee from the existing international bearer circuit fee operators now pay (CD Oct 6 p7). In an August order on regulatory fees, the FCC promised to sign off on a submarine cable fees overhaul by Sept. 29.
Supporters of the industry plan have sought information on the order’s whereabouts from several officials at the FCC, including Chairman Kevin Martin’s office and the Office of Managing Director, but have received no solid information, the industry official said. Commissioner offices other than the chairman don’t have any information, the official said. An FCC spokesman didn’t comment by our deadline.
Eighth-floor offices other than Martin’s don’t know the order’s status or even if the International Bureau has finished writing it, confirmed an FCC official. The official said the industry proposal currently faces no opposition.