To the applause of many consumer and industry groups, U.S. Senators John Thune (R-SD), and Ed Markey (D-MA) reintroduced their Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, which imposes penalties up to $10,000 per call for intentionally violating telemarketing restrictions.

“The ability to communicate quickly and effectively is important especially for our first responders and law enforcement and I look forward to using this opportunity to assist in their efforts. In recent years, Pennsylvania has become a technological leader, I am eager to continue the cultivation of this sector so we can provide new economic […]

Not likely that either Sprint or T-Mobile initially factored a government shutdown into their merger timeline, but that application (and many other activities), have gotten caught in the dragnet. The FCC announced early in the week that it would be forced to suspend activity in a number of areas by mid-day yesterday, but would continue […]

In a Tuesday, SEC filing, Verizon noted that it will lose 10,400 employees under its “voluntary separation program.” The number represents approximately 7 percent of the total VZ workforce.  

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced a record settlement with Verizon subsidiary Oath (formerly AOL), this week under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The $4.95 million penalty is the largest ever under COPPA, and was levied for conducting auctions for ad space on hundreds of sites which the company knew were directed […]

Recognizing the expense associated with rural broadband deployment, the Centre County Commissioners voted on Tuesday to request proposals from potential providers to access three county-owned 911 towers to help serve certain areas.  

The PUC’s One Call Damage Prevention Committee held its inaugural meeting recently, and filed disciplinary actions against 68 facility owners, excavators, and project owners. The committee plans to hold monthly meetings to review alleged violations of the One Call Law and they will be livestreamed on the Commission’s website.  

The USDA this week announced that it will be distributing $91 million to twelve states (Pennsylvania is not one of them), to fund rural broadband projects designed to help 27,000 businesses and residences. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue offered that there is more revenue on its way in 2019 as part of a $600 million broadband […]

Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission unanimously adopted an Order rejecting the PTA’s Petition to Rescind the Commission’s Secretarial Letter in the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) investigation. The result of the Commission’s action is that its stay of the larger TCJA investigation will remain in effect and the Office of Administrative Law Judge’s […]