This Week in Tech: FCC to tackle rural phone problems

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The workshop is essentially divided into two panel discussions. The first will look at the possible causes of the disruptions and the resulting effects on customers. The second will discuss possible solutions such as greater information sharing among carriers, or regulatory measures. Verizon, AT&T Services, Sprint and the National Telecommunications and Cable Association will all take part in the workshop.

The workshop is only part of a busy week for FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, who on Monday will join CTIA-The Wireless Association and Consumers Union to unveil new consumer guidelines for wireless customers at the Brookings Institution.

No details are available on the announcement, but the FCC has previously targeted wireless firms for cramming, the practice of including mystery fees in consumers’ monthly phone bills.

Brookings will also host a forum in the afternoon on wireless broadband and economic growth where experts will discuss how to leverage broadband access to spur economic growth.

Panelists include Information Technology Industry Council President Dean Garfield, Economic Policy Institute research and policy director John Irons and Georgetown University Professor of economics, business and public policy John Mayo.

On Tuesday, the Media Institute is holding its black-tie gala at the Fairmont Hotel, where the heavy hitters of the telecom policy world will mix discussions of spectrum and USF reform with cocktails and hor d’oeuvres.

Scheduled speakers include Republican FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson.

Also on Tuesday, Verisign, the company that manages .com and .net Web registrations, will hold a lunch event at the Newseum to discuss improving the Internet’s global infrastructure.

Several new pieces of research will be released at the event, the company says.

The event will feature a keynote discussion by author Chris Anderson and panel discussions featuring Steve Crocker, the newly appointed chairman of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and former Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), who served as chairman of the Energy and Commerce’s Communications and Technology subcommittee.

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FCC’s Genachowski under pressure on reform of $8 billion phone fund.

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