Recent Articles

Replacement of the Legacy High-Cost Universal Support Fund with a Connect America Fund: Key Economic and Legal Considerations

May 04, 2010 18:41

A Note by Christopher Huther and Megan Troy of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP and Christian Dippon of NERA Economic Consulting On April 21, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that seek the...

Replacement of the Legacy High-Cost Universal Support Fund with a Connect America Fund: Key Economic and Legal Considerations

May 04, 2010 18:41

A Note by Christopher Huther and Megan Troy of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP and Christian Dippon of NERA Economic Consulting On April 21, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that seek the...

FCC Loses Net Neutrality Suit

April 07, 2010 20:33

On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the FCC lacks the authority to regulate Internet service providers' network management practices.  The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel immediately throws into question the FCC's ability to require Internet...

National Broadband Plan recommends Lower, Uniform Pole Attachment Rates

March 23, 2010 12:30

The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") released its long-awaited National Broadband Plan (the "Plan") on March 16, 2010. The Plan emphasizes that encouraging and facilitating access to infrastructure, such as utility poles, is critical to the continued...

FCC Recommends Lower, Uniform Pole Attachment Rates

March 23, 2010 12:30

The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") released its long-awaited National Broadband Plan (the "Plan") last Tuesday (March 16). The Plan emphasizes the importance of ensuring access to infrastructure, including utility poles, to the continued deployment of broadband in...

FCC Initiates Net Neutrality Rulemaking

Sheppard Mullin
November 02, 2009 18:12

In its latest move in the "net neutrality" debate, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in late October 2009 that breaks from the FCC's historically restrained approach to Internet regulation and proposes a host of new prohibitions and...

D.C. Circuit Strikes Down Cable Ownership Cap

Sheppard Mullin
September 10, 2009 14:42

On August 28, 2009, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an opinion in Comcast Corporation v. FCC, which vacated the FCC's 30% limit on the number of subscribers to which a cable operator could offer service.   The 30% cap, created in 1993, was initially...

Increased Prospects for Broadband Deployment under Obama

Sheppard Mullin
December 18, 2008 18:31

A broad coalition of telecommunications companies and organizations has called upon President-elect Barack Obama to prioritize broadband deployment and stimulate investment in broadband services.  This large coalition – which includes AT&T, Verizon, Google, Alcatel-Lucent,...

Senate Passes FISA Bill With Telecom Immunity

Sheppard Mullin
July 16, 2008 20:55

The Senate recently voted 69-28 in favor of a bill (H.R. 6304) that will provide retroactive legal immunity to telephone companies that participated in the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program.  The bill’s passage ended more than a year of legislative debate over...

FCC Steps Up DTV Enforcement

Sheppard Mullin
April 17, 2008 23:28

The FCC’s recent DTV enforcement actions made one thing clear – the Commission is being vigilant in the enforcement of its digital television (or “DTV”) regulations.  On April 9, 2008, the FCC adopted notices of apparent liability (“NALs”) against eleven...