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LOBBYING REPORT |
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page
2. Address
| Address1 | 317 MASSACHUSETTS AVE., NE, SUITE 300C |
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| City | WASHINGTON |
State | DC |
Zip Code | 20002 |
Country | USA |
3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)
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5. Senate ID# 293836-12
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6. House ID# 373580000
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| TYPE OF REPORT | 8. Year | 2013 |
Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) | Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) | Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) | Q4 (10/1 - 12/31) |
9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report
| 10. Check if this is a Termination Report | Termination Date |
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11. No Lobbying Issue Activity |
| INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13 | |||||||||
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| 12. Lobbying | 13. Organizations | ||||||||
| INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: | EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were: | ||||||||
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| Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). | 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options. | ||||||||
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Method A.
Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only
Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code |
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| Signature | Digitally Signed By: DERRICK B. OWENS |
Date | 10/18/2013 11:58:08 AM |
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code TEC
16. Specific lobbying issues
Universal Service and Intercarrier Compensation Reform -- WTA continued its lobbying efforts focusing on how provisions in the Federal Communications Commission's 2011 Transformation Order are adversely affecting rural local exchange carriers' (RLECs) inabilities to build out and modernize their networks to meet their customers' current and future broadband needs. As part of our lobbying WTA has shared numerous proposals that would provide RLECs with more certainty and predictability to meet their customer's broadband requirements.
Rate of Return Represcription -- WTA has lobbied against an FCC staff report that would lower the current authorized interstate rate of return for ILECs. WTA has demonstrated how this would negatively affect small carriers' abilities to obtain reasonable financing to modernize their networks.
USF Support for Data-Only Broadband -- WTA has discussed allowing support for Data-Only Broadband as a way to increase broadband adoption in rural areas and also as a way to make broadband more affordable for consumers living in these communities.
Evolution of the Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) from TDM to an Internet Protocol-based Network -- WTA continued discussing how RLECs' current TDM networks are transitioning to ones that are more IP-based.
Rural Call Completion -- WTA continued it lobbying efforts to have Congress and the FCC resolve this national problem (i.e., calls originating outside of rural areas and not being terminated/completed in rural calling areas).
USF Contributions Reform -- WTA continued to stress the need for Congress and the FCC to address the contributions-side of USF reform (e.g., the way individuals contribute into the Universal Service Fund), especially since the FCC has already addressed the distribution mechanism in the 2011 USF/ICC Transformation Order. WTA lobbied on the benefits that reform would bring and why it is important to do so.
E-Rate Modernization -- WTA lobbied in support of reforming the E-Rate program in ways that better use the limited E-Rate funds and that leverage existing infrastructure to enhance the delivery of broadband services. WTA argued for restrictions on duplicative infrastructure construction where pre-exising federal programs and recipients of support are in the process of providing broadband to community anchor institutions. WTA also discussed the difficulty of setting unnecessarily high service speed goals that are not tethered to current or near-term needs.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Derrick |
Owens |
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Eric |
Keber |
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Noah |
Cherry |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code AGR
16. Specific lobbying issues
H.R. 1947, Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 and S. 954, Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act (e.g., FARM Bill) -- WTA continued to lobby in support of the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service's (RUS) Broadband Loan Program, which enables RLECs to secure funds to build telecommunications infrastructure capable of delivering broadband in rural areas. WTA expressed its opposition to provisions in S. 954 that would place more burdens on RLECs and that would discourage them from participating in the program.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Derrick |
Owens |
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Eric |
Keber |
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Noah |
Cherry |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code INT
16. Specific lobbying issues
H.R. 624 Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act and S. 1353 Cybersecurity Act of 2013 -- WTA has been talking with congressional offices about key liability protections that should be in place that would enable information sharing between private industry and U.S. government agencies. Specifically, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework should remain voluntary and non-prescriptive; incentives aimed at encouraging adoption of the Framework should be aimed to help defray the costs of implementing a cyber plan, especially for small rural local exchange carriers (RLECs) that operate critical infrastructure and are subject to operating expense caps.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Derrick |
Owens |
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Eric |
Keber |
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Noah |
Cherry |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code SMB
16. Specific lobbying issues
USF/ICC Reform -- WTA lobbied members of the Small Business Committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate regarding the impacts that the FCC's 2011 USF/ICC Transformation Order are having on small rural local exchange carriers (RLECs) abilities to grow and expand their business opportunities while also meeting their customers' broadband needs. In many instances, these RLECs are the largest business providers, and employers, in their regions.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Derrick |
Owens |
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Eric |
Keber |
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Noah |
Cherry |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code COM
16. Specific lobbying issues
Video Choice Act of 2013 and the Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013 and STELA Reauthorization -- WTA lobbied in support of legislative efforts that would make access to video content and its retransmission more readily available and at reasonable costs to rural local exchange carriers (RLECs).
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Derrick |
Owens |
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Eric |
Keber |
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Noah |
Cherry |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.
20. Client new address
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22. New General description of client’s business or activities
LOBBYIST UPDATE
23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client
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ISSUE UPDATE
24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains
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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)
Internet Address:
| Name | Address |
Principal Place of Business (city and state or country) |
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26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
FOREIGN ENTITIES
27. Add the following foreign entities:
| Name | Address |
Principal place of business (city and state or country) |
Amount of contribution for lobbying activities | Ownership percentage in client | ||||||||||
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28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization
| 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 |