The business of Internet, wireless, and telecom law.

NTIA Delivers for Vendors on Buy America Restrictions

Posted by Barlow Keener

Technorati Tags: FCC,NTIA,Cisco,Alcatel-Lucent,FTTH,Fiber,Recovery Act,BTOP

On Friday, July 26, 2009, the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) granted a “limited waiver” for the Buy America restriction in the  Recovery Act covering certain types of equipment that may be required for broadband projects.  The NTIA is responsible for overseeing the process of delivering $4.7 billion in stimulus funding [...]

Should Broadband Fees Fund Broadband Growth?

Posted by Barlow Keener

Technorati Tags: FCC,National Broadband Plan,ARRA
The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act ("ARRA”) appropriated $7.2 billion for various broadband projects.  The primary goals of the ARRA broadband provisions are 1) to increase broadband penetration for the unserved, both rural and urban, 2) to increase broadband adoption for the “underserved,” and 3) to deliver new jobs.   The USDA’s [...]

The Recovery Act Delivers Broadband Growth

Posted by Barlow Keener

While visiting Denver’s Museum of Nature and Science this week, President Obama signed the historic “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.” For the telecom industry, as well as other sectors of the economy, the Recovery Act presents the opportunity for obtaining billions of dollars of grants and loans and delivering jobs and hope to the economy.  [...]

FCC’s Political Hot Potato: Intercarrier Compensation Reform

Posted by Barlow Keener

This month the FCC narrowly avoided addressing the messy political hot-potato of comprehensive intercarrier compensation reform. Very few, even inside the industry, have a full grasp of the complex problems involved with reform. On November 5, 2008, the FCC issued a lengthy order addressing the dial-up reciprocal compensation issues related to the Core Communications order [...]