Adam Bender

Verizon Wireless charges an early termination fee for smartphones that’s double the one for regular cellphones because of their costs, the carrier told the FCC by letter late Friday. Responding to an inquiry this month by the commission’s Wireless and Consumer and Governmental Affairs bureaus, Verizon Wireless also said early termination fees promote broadband adoption. But states said the letter only highlights the need for an FCC review of the fees. Consumers Union said the carrier filed a “disingenuous” explanation for shaking more money out of its customers’ wallets. An increase in the fee by Verizon Wireless prompted a bill by Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota to limit charges of its kind and require disclosures.

Shure raised concerns about a proposed June 12 deadline to clear unlicensed wireless microphones out of the 700 MHz band. The date, the first anniversary of the analog TV cutoff, was proposed in a draft order circulated late Thursday by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski (CD Dec 18 p1). “While it will be helpful to users and manufacturers for the FCC to announce its decision on the transition of 700 MHz wireless microphones and a specific date, we are concerned that such an expedited timeframe is simply not enough time for many users to accomplish all that needs to be done to replace these relatively complicated systems,” said a Shure spokesman. “Once users learn of the rule change, the replacement must be planned; bids must be solicited from vendors; funding for this unbudgeted expense must be secured; products must be acquired; and finally, the equipment must be installed and tested. This is not like buying a new cordless phone that merely needs to be taken out of the box, plugged in, and placed on the kitchen counter. For many users, it will be more like a kitchen renovation.” But CTIA President Steve Largent said he’s “pleased to see the Commission is moving forward on this important effort.” The association believes “clearing the 700 MHz is a necessary precursor to bringing spectrum to the market and will help facilitate broadband deployment around the country,” he said.

Wireless microphones would have to clear out of the 700 MHz band by June 12 if the FCC adopts an order circulated late Thursday by Chairman Julius Genachowski, an FCC staffer told us. The draft order includes a temporary waiver authorizing microphones’ use until the DTV transition’s one-year anniversary, and also sets up an extensive outreach program to educate what the FCC believes is a significant number of affected users, the staffer said. The outreach effort would include requiring manufacturers and retailers to give consumers clear notice about how microphones are licensed, the staffer said. The draft order also includes a further notice of proposed rulemaking on the long-term of status of wireless microphones both within and outside of the TV bands. The order is “necessary and essential” to finish the DTV transition and “ensure public safety and commercial users don’t experience interference in the 700 MHz band,” the source said. Commissioners have been briefed on the item, but it’s not yet clear if they will vote on the item at the FCC’s Jan. 20 meeting or earlier, the staffer said.

Consumer advocates for the deaf urged action to fix fraud and other problems with the Video Relay Services fund, in a workshop Thursday at the FCC. They called for better and more transparent oversight to promote functional equivalency required by the Americans With Disabilities Act. Thursday’s forum was a chance to “reevaluate and review video relay service and the program as a way to build on its strengths and weed out its deficiencies,” said Greg Hlibok, an attorney in the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau.

Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday $182 million in broadband grants for 18 projects, in the first round of NTIA and RUS funding under the stimulus law. The grants benefit projects in 17 states and are matched by more than $46 million in private capital, Biden’s office said. A report by the president’s National Economic Council highlighted some of the winning projects, which aim to build last- and middle-mile infrastructure, connect community institutions and promote digital literacy and economic development.

The FCC tentatively concluded that the timing of the National Broadband Plan makes it impossible to overhaul the Universal Service Fund high-cost support mechanism for non-rural carriers like Qwest “at this time.” The commission had committed to answer a remand by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on the subject by April 16. In a further notice of proposed rulemaking released late Tuesday, the commission sought comment on specific “interim changes” to address the court’s concerns and marketplace changes. While voting for the order, Commissioners Meredith Baker and Robert McDowell expressed some disappointment that the notice didn’t say more.

ISPs resisted proposed rules requiring them to disclose more data about broadband speeds and other characteristics, urging an industry approach instead, in comments this week on an FCC National Broadband Plan public notice. But Google and public interest groups said transparency is lacking and rules are necessary. Some fixed broadband providers said any new rules applying to them should also apply to others in the broadband ecosystem.

FCC commissioners agreed an open Internet has been key to promoting free speech but voiced sharp divisions on possible consequences of federal network neutrality rules, in an FCC net neutrality workshop Tuesday. Meanwhile, AT&T sent Chairman Julius Genachowski a letter highlighting areas of consensus it sees between advocates and opponents of new rules. Officials from CTIA and Public Knowledge also cited some conditional agreement.

A fight over call routing services that reduce the cost of prisoner phone calls but are allegedly unsafe flared this week and last in industry communications with the FCC. In meetings last week, VoIP provider Millicorp told the FCC its service ConsCallHome poses no security risk to jails, and prison telcos’ blocking of the service violates federal law. Prison telco Securus disputed the statements in an ex-parte letter to the FCC late Monday. Securus and many prisons back a federal ban (CD Sept 14 p8) of call routing services like ConsCallHome, while Millicorp wants an Enforcement Bureau investigation of ongoing call blocking by Securus and others.

Using the Internet for elections raises serious security and privacy concerns, said technologists and others in comments at the FCC on a National Broadband Plan public notice on digital democracy. While many supported webcasting of government meetings, some warned that putting any government process on the Web risks disenfranchising people without broadband access. And counties said they opposed national mandates.