Communications Chair and Partner, John J. Heitmann and associate, Jameson Dempsey will be speaking at “4 Years From Now” during Mobile World Congress, an annual event with over 80,00 attendees.… Continue Reading
In January 2013, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) comprehensively revised its reporting rules applicable to providers of international telecommunications, making numerous substantive revisions to the categories of providers subject to the reporting requirements, the information to be reported and the format of the reports. See our advisory on the January 2013 Order.… Continue Reading
Eric McClafferty and Rob Slack from Kelley Drye’s International Trade and Customs Practice released this recent advisory on Cuba. Due to the implications for telecommunications companies, we are posting it here too. On December 17, President Obama announced plans to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba and ease certain aspects of the U.S.’s longstanding embargo of … Continue Reading
As a result of the Federal Communications Commission ‘s Regulatory Fees Order released last Friday, submarine cable licensees will see a welcome decline in fees for fiscal year 2014 due to a reallocation among International Bureau regulatees, and Responsible Organizations (“RespOrgs”) will begin paying regulatory fees on toll free numbers in fiscal year 2015. However, among other decisions, … Continue Reading
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that Interstate Telecommunication Service Provider (ITSP) and Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) data, on which FY2014 regulatory fees will be based, is now available on Fee Filer – the FCC’s electronic filing and payment system. The FCC has not yet released its FY2014 Regulatory Fees Report and Order … Continue Reading
As the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) continue to aggressively pursue investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (the “FCPA”), international telecommunications carriers are particularly at risk. International terminations often involve relationships with foreign governments or with state-owned telecommunications carriers. With these types of carrier partners, an international … Continue Reading
A carrier’s failure to comply with its letter of assurance or national security agreement may jeopardize its international Section 214 license. In nearly unprecedented enforcement actions, the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (collectively “Team Telecom”), have recently requested that the Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) terminate, or … Continue Reading
By Order dated April 22, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) eliminated the effective competitive opportunities (“ECO”) Test applicable to certain foreign carriers and submarine cable landing licensees. Going forward, once the rule changes become effective, international Section 214 applications and cable landing license applications filed by foreign carriers or licensees or their affiliates that … Continue Reading
Earlier this week, the Federal Communications Commission released an order affirming the International Bureau’s 2009 order directing all U.S. facilities-based carriers within the FCC’s jurisdiction to stop payments to Tonga Communications Corporation (“TCC”) for termination of switched voice service (“Stop Payment Order“) on the U.S.-Tonga route. The April 7 Memorandum Opinion and Order affirmed the … Continue Reading
Last week, the FCC granted a petition filed by AT&T requesting enforcement of the benchmark rate of $0.19 per minute for international traffic on the U.S.-Fiji route. Among other requirements, the Memorandum Opinion and Order (“Order”), specified that “all U.S. international facilities-based carriers providing international message telephone service with Fintel[1] on the U.S.-Fiji route SHALL CONDUCT settlements for services … Continue Reading
For more than six months since adopting comprehensive revisions to the Federal Communications Commission’s Part 25 rules governing licensing and operations of satellites and earth stations, uncertainty regarding when the rules would become effective has reigned. In its August 9, 2013, Report and Order in IB Docket No. 12-267, the Commission explained that because many of … Continue Reading
