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FROM BELLS TO WHISTLES: The Changing Telecom Landscape
Since Alexander Graham Bell
first introduced the telephone in 1876, two things have remained constant: people like to communicate, and the face of communication is always changing. Today, copper-based landline telephone
service is shrinking, and customers are choosing wireless or Voice over Internet Protocol service. As millions of consumers cut the landline cord, public utility commissions no longer regulate
the industry as it did in 1934, the year the Communications Act was penned “to provide for the widest dissemination of communications services to the public.” From 1913 through the 1980s,
AT&T held a near-total monopoly in the United States. To break up the monopoly, AT&T was split into “Baby Bells” in 1984. This and the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, and the development
of wireless quickly changed the industry from a regulated monopoly to a competitive oligopoly requiring innovation and new marketing strategies. The goal of the 1934 Act remains today.
What’s changed is how to reach this goal. Many wondered whether we should risk losing the best long distance telecommunications service in the world before its divestiture. But the wisdom of this
approach and subsequent legislation has increased competition, benefitting consumers with lower prices, more choices, and better service.
With the march away from copper inevitable, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must address the changes to local landline phone service, which most say will become obsolete like the telegraph.
But, the transition isn’t easy. There are those who still use “plain old telephone” service. As landline numbers continue dropping, it’s only natural that regulations shift, too, which is why the FCC is
changing regulations to include broadband. While Florida’s PSC currently has no authority over broadband, changing regulations could lessen the authority other state utility commissions have over the vast
broadband technologies.
The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) is still required to report on the status of competition in the telecommunications industry to the Legislature by August 1 each year.
The 2015 report released today shows some interesting statistics:
- AT&T, CenturyLink, and Verizon continued to lose wireline customers.
- Carriers reported approximately 3.3 million total wireline access lines in Florida for 2015, about 14 percent fewer than in 2014.
- For the second year, business wirelines continued the drop, declining 15 percent from 2014.
- For the first time, CenturyLink became Florida’s largest wireline residential provider, surpassing AT&T.
- There are an estimated 19.9 million wireless handsets in Florida, and an additional 3.7 million VoIP subscribers.
- Over 67 percent of Florida households have a broadband connection with download speeds of at least 3 megabits per second.
More detailed information is in our Report on the Status of Competition in the Telecommunications
Industry.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE REPORT
Though largely unregulated Internet-based telephone is the future, consumers must be treated fairly. The FCC and state commissions should continue to identify ways to best
serve the changing industry, while ensuring that consumers continue receiving reliable services. To help accomplish this, Florida PSC Commissioner Ronald Brisé served on
the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Task Force on Federalism and Telecommunications. The Task Force supports a continued focus on protecting consumers,
ensuring public safety, ensuring the networks remain ubiquitous and interconnected regardless of technology, and ensuring that consumers benefit from voice and broadband services.
Commissioner Brisé also chairs the Task Force on Telecommunications Act Modernization, ensuring that the States’ voice is heard and that NARUC responds to efforts to amend or change laws.
Tremendous advances have changed, and improved, our lives in ways Alexander Graham Bell could not have imagined. But, what he set in motion, still rings
true: “friends will converse with each other without leaving homes.” Only today, we do it with connection speeds averaging 14.2 megabytes per second (U.S. internet use)!
Julie I. Brown, FPSC Chairman
CONTACT THE PSC:
On-line: www.FloridaPSC.com
E-mail contact@psc.state.fl.us
Call toll-free number: 800-342-3552
Fax toll-free: 800-511-0809
Send a letter to: The Florida Public Service Commission
2540 Shumard Oak Blvd., Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0850
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For immediate access to PSC consumer information,
download the free Barcode Scanner app on your smartphone, and scan our new 2d barcode
(also called QR or quick response codes).
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Commission Calendar
| 8/2 | WAW Utility Staff Workshop in St. Augustine |
| 8/3 | WAW Utility Staff Workshop in Ft. Myers |
| 8/4 | WAW Utility Staff Workshop in Lakeland |
| 8/9 | Nuclear Cost Recovery Hearing |
| 8/9 | Commission Conference |
| 8/12 | Florida Power & Light Company Rate
Case Prehearing |
| 8/16 | WAW Utility Staff Workshop in Melbourne |
| 8/17 | WAW Utility Staff Workshop in Boca
Raton |
| 8/18 | WAW Utility Staff Workshop in Sebring |
| 8/22- 9/2 | Florida Power & Light Company Rate
Case Hearing |
August News Releases
Florida PSC Commission Conference on Tuesday
Florida PSC Nuclear Cost Recovery Hearing Set
PSC Highlights August 11, National 811 Call Before You Dig Day
Hearing for FPL Rate Request Begins Monday
PSC Workshops Help Small Water/Wastewater Utilities
Panama City Beach Senior Center Named PSC Helping Hand
SkyPoint Condominiums Receives PSC’s Triple E Award
July / August Notable FPSC Dockets
Electric Industry
Docket No. 20150265
12/14/2015 - Petition for approval of 2015 nuclear decommissioning study, by Florida Power & Light Company.
Docket No. 20160009
01/04/2016 - Nuclear cost recovery clause.
Docket No. 20160090
04/18/2016 - Petition for limited extension of experimental large business incentive rate rider, medium business incentive rate rider, and small business incentive rate rider, by Gulf Power Company.
Docket No. 20160096
04/22/2016 - Joint petition for approval of modifications to risk management plans by Duke Energy Florida, Florida Power & Light Company, Gulf Power Company and Tampa Electric Company.
Telecommunications Industry
Docket No. 20140029
02/07/2014 - Request for submission of proposals for relay service, beginning in June 2015, for the deaf, hard of hearing, deaf/blind, or speech impaired, and other implementation matters in compliance with the Florida Telecommunications Access System Act of 1991.
Docket No. 20160100
04/28/2016 - Application for certificate to provide pay telephone service by Florida Turnpike Services LLC.
Docket No. 20160124
05/16/2016 - Application for certificate to provide local telecommunications service by TampaBay DSL Inc d/b/a PBX-Change.
Water and Wastewater Industry
Docket No. 20160006
01/04/2016 - Water and wastewater industry annual reestablishment of authorized range of return on common equity for water and wastewater utilities pursuant to Section 367.081(4)(f), F.S.
July / August Notable FPSC Orders
Electric Industry
Order No. PSC-2016-0247-PAA-EI
♦ Docket No:
20160096
06/27/2016 - PAA Order PSC-16-0247-PAA-EI granting investor-owned utilities' joint petition for approval of modifications to risk management plans; order to become final and effective on issuance of CO; if no timely protest, docket to be closed; protest due 7/18/16.
Order No. PSC-2016-0250-PAA-EI
♦ Docket No:
20150265
06/29/2016 - PAA Order PSC-16-0250-PAA-EI approving FPL's Accruals for Nuclear Decommissioning; order to become final and effective on issuance of CO; if no timely protest, docket to be closed; protest due 7/20/16.
Order No. PSC-2016-0266-PCO-EI
♦ Docket No:
20160009
07/12/2016 - Order PSC-16-0266-PCO-EI granting FPL's motion to defer consideration of issues and cost recovery.
Order No. PSC-2016-0269-CO-EI
♦ Docket No:
20160090
07/15/2016 - Consummating Order PSC-16-0269-CO-EI makes Order PSC-16-0243-TRF-EI effective and final; docket shall be closed.
Telecommunications Industry
Order No. PSC-2016-0268-PAA-TC
♦ Docket No:
20160100
07/13/2016 - PAA Order PSC-16-0268-PAA-TC granting Certificate No. 8892 to Florida Turnpike; order to become final and effective on issuance of CO; if no timely protest, docket to be closed administratively; protest due 8/3/16.
Order No. PSC-2016-0273-PAA-TX
♦ Docket No:
20160124
07/15/2016 - PAA Order PSC-16-0273-PAA-TX granting TampaBay Certificate of Authority No. 8894 to provide telecommunications service; order shall serve as TampaBay 's certificate and should be retained by TampaBay as proof of certification; order to become final and effective on issuance of CO; if no timely protest, docket to be closed; protest due 8/5/16.
Order No. PSC-2016-0280-PAA-TP
♦ Docket No:
20140029
07/21/2016 - Order PSC-16-0280-PAA-TP establishing FTRI's budget (2016/17); reducing surcharge to $0.11; order to become final and effective on issuance of CO; if no timely protest, docket to remain open; protest due 8/11/16.
Water and Wastewater Industry
Order No. PSC-2016-0254-PAA-WS
♦ Docket No:
20160006
06/29/2016 - PAA Order PSC-16-0254-PAA-WS establishing authorized range of returns on common equity for WAW utilities; if no protest, order to become final and effective on issuance of CO; if order becomes final, docket to remain open to allow staff to monitor changes in capital market conditions and to readdress the reasonableness of the leverage formula as conditions warrant; protest due 7/20/16.
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