The FCC's new Office of Economics and Analytics has asked for comment for its biennial report to Congress on the state of competition in the communications marketplace.
That encompasses competition for voice, video, audio and data services from " providers of telecommunications, providers of commercial mobile service, multichannel video programming distributors, broadcast stations, providers of satellite communications, Internet service providers, and other providers of communications services."
Comments are due April 13; reply comments are due May 13.
The FCC has to assess whether laws and regulations, or "demostrated marketplace practices" pose a barrier to competitive entry or expansion of existing competition.
The FCC issues its first communications competition report in 2018, so this will be its second bite of the apple.
The FCC is looking for stats from 2018 and 2019 and input on any "notable trends" in eraly 2020.
In the video space, the FCC is looking for input on"
"Competition in the provision of video programming services
"Vertical integration
"Technological developments
"Recent entry and exit
"Trends (e.g., declining MVPD subscriptions, increasing virtual MVPD (vMVPD) prices,
fragmentation of Video on Demand (VOD) content, household subscription to multiple video services)
"Service features (e.g., live vs VOD content, pricing, commercials, device compatibility,leased equipment) that lead some video programming services to be viewed as substitutes for one another and others as supplements
"Operating and financial statistics including subscriptions, subscription revenue, advertising revenue, retransmission consent fee revenue, and any other sources of revenue
"Data and comment that will help the Commission analyze how the ongoing evolution in the video programming market affects competition in the related market for set-top boxes and devices, including how it affects the extent to which consumer choice for devices to access MVPD content remains a relevant aspect of the competitive environment."
To check out examples of what the FCC is looking for in each sector, click here.
