Vita: Bruce A. Kushnick

Bruce A. Kushnick, New Networks Institute

VITA

  • Education:

Harvard University, Graduate School of Psychology, 1977-1978

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Special Graduate Student in Interdisciplinary Sciences, 1977-1978, (Part of the Division for the Study and Research in Education, now part of the Media Lab.)  Worked with Marvin Minsky, MIT AI Labs creating music with artificial intelligence

Master Class in Musical Theater, (under Lehman Engel) Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) 1976-1980

School of Contemporary Music 1976-1977

Harvard University Summer School, 1975-1976

Boston Architectural Center, 1975, 1976

Boston University, 1975, Special Graduate Class, School of Music Education

Sergeant School of Nursing, Boston U, 1975

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1975, Linguistics & Music Seminars, with Noam Chomsky and Leonard Bernstein.

Brandeis University 1973-1976, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, (Music Composition, Minor in Psychoacoustics.)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Research Laboratories in Electronics, (RLE) 1971-1973. Attended classes on acoustics with Amar Bose

Berklee College of Music, 1971-1972

University of Massachusetts, Computer Programming, 1971

Boston Experimental Electronic Projects, 1971

Brooklyn Academy of Music, 1971

Staten Island Community College, 1970-1971

Brooklyn Technical High School, 1966-1970

  • Experience

Executive Director, Founder, New Networks Institute (NNI), 1992-

Managing Director, IRREGULATORS, 2015-

Chairman, Founding Member, Teletruth 2002-2014 (Dormant)

President, Co-founder, Strategic Telemedia, 1986-1993

Senior Telecom Analyst, Link Resources, a Division of IDC, 1985-1987

Founding member, The Audiotext Group, (now Kelsey/BIA), 1986-1992

Independent Telecom Analyst, National TeleVoice, (NTV) 1982-1986

Recording Artist, CBS/John Hammond Music, 1981-1982

  • Columnist, Broadband & Telecommunication Expert

Medium, 2018-

Huffington Post, blogger, 2012 -2018

Harvard Nieman Foundation for Journalism’s Watchdog Project, 2006-2012

Alternet, with David Rosen, 2010-2014

  • New Networks Institute (NNI)

New Networks Institute was founded in 1992 to examine how the break-up of AT&T and the creation of the Regional Bell Operating Companies (now AT&T, Verizon, and CenturyLink), impacted America’s communications and customers. NNI published a series of books and reports on various related topics. A bibliography is available at http://www.newnetworks.com/biblio.html

  • IRREGULATORS

Established in 2015. IRREGULATORS is an independent consortium of telecommunications analysts, experts, forensic auditors and lawyers, some of whom held senior positions at the FCC, Consumer advocate and state Attorney General Offices. The IRREGULATORS gather information, present studies and participate in state and federal regulatory proceedings to expand user knowledge and advance consumer interests.

IRREGULATOR Team: http://irregulators.org/who-we-are/

  • Teletruth & New Networks Primary Activities, 2002-2009

Founded in 2002, Teletruth has been an independent, advocacy group, and working with New Networks, has filed state and federal comments and complaints with the FCC, IRS, SEC, helped to develop class action suits, made Data Quality Act filings at the FCC and performed hundreds of phone audits, recovering millions of dollars for small businesses and consumers.

Class Action suit settlement against Verizon, NJ for inoperative circuits, based on phone data collected through Teletruth audits. October 2006

In 2004 and 2008, Teletruth received grants from the California Consumer Protection Fund to work with UCAN, to study phone, broadband, Internet, wireless charges.

Member, FCC Consumer Advisory Committee (2003-2004).

Class Action suit settlement against Verizon, NJ for missing small business discounts, based on phone data collected through Teletruth audits. July 2004

Proposed Congressional bill — “The Broadband Bill of Rights”. 2001-2002 (with Congressmen Nadler)

Created Roundtable for Small Telecom Businesses with Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, 2002

Filed the first Data Quality Act complaints with the FCC over phone bill charges, broadband, small business competition, wireless spectrum issues 1994-2010.

  • Books and Major Reports

New Report Series: “The Digital Divide by Design” 2018-

New Report Series: “Fixing Telecommunications” 2015-2018

$400 Billion Broadband Scandal & Free the Net, 2015

$200 Billion Broadband Scandal, 2005

Dirty, Little, Secret Lives of Phone Bills, 2003

Regional Bell (RBOC) Revenues, Expenditures and Profits, 2002

Bell Executive Compensation, 2002

Bell Write-offs and Foreign Investment Losses 2002

The Unauthorized Bio of the Baby Bells & Info-Scandal, 1998

Inter-NOT: Online Statistics Reality Check, November 1996

Inter-NOT: The Terrible Twos: Online Industry’s Learning Curve, February 1997.

Telephone Bill Databases, California, 2004, 2008 — Wireless, Wireline, Broadband, Internet.

  • With Probe Research

“10 Years Since Divestiture: The Future of the Information Age.”, consists of 14 volumes, with two computerized databases. 1,900 pages, 875 exhibits. Highlights:

The Information Super-Highway: Get A Grip, 1995

Regional Bell Earnings, Expenditures & Profits, 1994

Telephone Charges in America, 1980-1993, two volumes, computer database

Consumer Attitudes Toward Telephone & Cable Services, two volumes, 1993

New Network Services, 500, 600 and *100, published 1992

  • Computer Databases: (Computer Programmer, Designer)

Telephone Charges in America, 1980-1992 — All charges, All states.

Consumer Attitudes Toward Telephone & Cable Services, 1000 Consumer Interviews, with Fairfield Research, 1993

Telecom Turf Wars, 1995, 1000 Consumer Interviews, with Fairfield Research.

  • NNI’s Research Reports were Marketed by:

Probe Research, Inc. 1992-1996

Fairfield Research, Inc. 1994-1995

Phillips Business Information, Inc. 1994-1996

  • President, Strategic Telemedia, 1988-1993

As President of Strategic Telemedia, 1985-1992, (originally National TeleVoice) the primary consulting activities included strategic planning, competitive analysis, and new business opportunities using interactive telecommunications. Selected clients: American Express, AT&T, Citibank, Consumer Union, Donnelly Directory, Nippon, MCI, Ogilvy & Mather, Pacific Bell, BellSouth, Sprint, Weather Channel, Westwood One (NBC and Mutual Radio). Specific projects included:

Acted as principal consultant and creator in the rollout of the first “NII”, 3-digit number service, “511” (like “311”) in America, with Cox Newspapers, 1992.

Acted as principal consultant to Sprint to create a new division for Telemedia services, including competitive and strategic analysis, product planning and implementation, sales and marketing. 1988-1991 (Estimated revenues were $250 million in 1990.).

Worked with The Weather Channel to implement a series of telephone related services, including 800 and 900 Weather. 900-WEATHER, Recipient of the Golden Phone Award, 1992. Work included product planning, media roll out, selection of vendors, down side risk analysis and co-marketing opportunities. 1991-1992.

Worked with American Express, Checks Division, to develop other lines of business in telecommunications related areas. Project included the exploration of new service offerings, including a telephone calling card, as well as creating an independent telecommunications network. 1990-1991.

Helped create a division for Audiotex and Telemedia services for Westwood One’s NBC and Mutual Radio Networks, including vendor selections, financial and program planning, including the creation of a premier telephone sports program. Campaign assistance included Burger King, Levi’s Jeans, Yoko Ono.

Worked with Donnelly Directory in the analysis of technology and marketing for the first national Talking Yellow Pages service, 1986.

  • As President of Strategic Telemedia, Co-authored first Published Reports on:

Automatic Number Identification, (Caller ID) 1986-92

“700, 800, 900: The Intelligent Networks”, 1987-1992

Telephone as Media: Telemedia, 1987-91

Automated Service Bureau & Telemarketing Service Agencies -1991

  • Strategic Telemedia’s Research Reports were Marketed by:

The Audiotex Group, 1988-1992

Jupiter Communications, 1987-1990

  • Other Business Activities:

Invented a ‘500’ Caller Paid network, using the 500 Area Code, 1990. (Rolled out by AT&T.) Example: 500 555-1212.

Telecom Director for “Prime Time to End Hunger”, part of Bush Administration’s “1,000 Points of Light”, 1990.

Created first industry forums for Billing Services involving all RBOCs and IXCs, 1989-90

Founding member of the National Association of Information Services, NAIS (1990) renamed, “Interactive Services Association”, (ISA)

Created “Continuous Information Service” for Link Resources 1986-1987

Created first report about emerging voice technology markets. Link Resources, 1985-86

Founding member, The Audiotex Group, 1986, now “The Kelsey Group/BIA”

  • Coined the Terms:

“Telemedia”, “Interactive Voice”, “Intelligent 800”, “500 Caller-Paid”

Predicted or Influenced:

Predicted companies would incorporate voice technology and add ‘press one of this, press two for that” as their phone interface, 1981

Predicted the addition of new technologies to the networks, combined with the divestiture of AT&T, would create an explosion of new networks, as well as new applications, from online services to intelligent 800 services, 1982.

Predicted Caller ID, Calling features and voicemail would become important phone services and new revenues for the phone companies, 1985

Sprint used NNI’s data to create the Candice Bergen add “Do you know what you’re paying for long distance per minute?” 1992

Predicted flat rate pricing for residential long distance, 1990.

Predicted 900 services would rise… and then fall, 1986…1990

Predicted the Bells would never deploy advanced networks as promised, 1992

  • Press Interviews, 1987-2014, includes the following:

Featured in the Emmy-nominated “Bill Moyers In America”, “The Net at Risk”, 2006 Featured in Pulitzer Prize winder David Cay Johnston, “The Fine Print”, 2012

New York Times, Business Week, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, Advertising Age, DM News, CNN, Baltimore Sun, Interactive Age, Interactive Week, CNBC, Bloomberg, Inside Washington, Washington Times, Communications Week, Ad Week, Network World, Telecommunications Mag, Outlook on AT&T, Boston Globe, Communications. Daily, Associated Press, Newsbytes, Telephone Week, Philadelphia Inquirer, ISP Planet, Broadband Reports, Computerworld, ABC News-New York, Fox News-New York, Miami Herald, PhillyNews, the Bergen Record, Ars Technica, Forbes, among others.

  • Other Activities:

“Touchtone”, optioned by, Warner Brothers, Wolper Productions., 1995-1999

“Touchtone” a novel, 1994

“Destiny”, a novel, 1993

“Kushnick at Carnegie”, Original compositions, Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, 1990

Recording Artist, with No Laughing, CBS/John Hammond Music, 1982

Opera “Ephiphanies” with Richard Kostelanetz, 1982

“Bruce Kushnick, A Retrospective”, Carnegie Recital Hall, original compositions, 1980, accompanied by Robert Koff, founding member, Julliard Sting Quartet.

  • Highlights of Speaking Engagements and Events, 1989-93

Asian Direct Marketing Symposium 93, Keynote Speaker, Telemedia, (May, 1993) Hong Kong

Infotext 93, The Creation of Area Codes *100, 500, and 600, and 3-Digit Dialing (January, 1993)

Press Conference, National Press Bldg. 10 Years Since Divestiture: The Future of the Info Age, (July, 1992)

Audiotex in Scandinavia, 92 Automated Services & Telephone Networks in US, (March, 1992)-Copenhagen

Infotext 92, Buying and Selling an Information Service, (January, 1992)

National Database Conference, Databases and New Telecommunications Options, (December, 1991)

American Telemarketing Association, Using New Telecom Options, Annual Conference, (October, 1991)

World Telemedia, Keynote Address, The Growth of Telemedia, (October 1991)-London

Direct Marketing Association, Database Marketing and Telecom Options, (February, 1991)

Telemedia 90, Tutorial Overview on 800 and 900 Service, (November, 1990)

Information Industry Liaison Committee, Automatic Number Identification Applications, (October, 1990)

Intertainment, Growth of 900 and 800 for Entertainment, (October, 1990)

Retrospective At Carnegie Recital Hall, The Music of Bruce Kushnick, (October, 1990)

Society of Telecom. Consultants, Automatic Number Identification Applications, (May, 1990)

Voice 90, The Telemedia Perspective, (March 1990)

Telecom Publishing, Audiotex Potential, Keynote Address, (February, 1990)

  • Strategic Telemedia Industry Forums

Forum I First Industry Forum for Long Distance cos. on issues of 900, September, 1989

Forum II Brought together the Long distance carriers and the Regional Bells (RBOC) to discuss Billing and Collections for 900 and enhanced services, March, 1990

Forum III Long Distance co. and RBOCs meet Public Utility Commissioners, June 1990

APPENDIX B

Research, Analysis & Data; State & FCC Filings

Reports, research, legal and regulatory Actions, 1985-1999

New Networks Institute & the IRREGULATORS filed in over 35 separate FCC proceedings and created “Fixing Telecom” series and the Digital Divide by Design series.

FILINGS RELATED TO 80-286 & The Big Freeze

  • FILING:  Comments filed in “The Big Freeze“ Docket 80-286 and FCC 18-99 -FURTHER NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING
  • FILED WITH COMMENTS: REPORT 1:  Did AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink & the FCC Intentionally Create the Digital Divide?
  • FILED AS REPLY COMMENTS:  REPORT 2: Verizon New York 2017 Annual Report: An Analysis of Cross-Subsidies and Customer Overcharging DESCRIPTION: This report, based on the Annual Report shows that there is a utility and that it is hemorrhaging money because of the FCC.
  • FILED AS COMMENTS: HYPERLINK “https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1080748415878/USTelecomIRREGULATORS.pdf”REPORT 3: Bell Access Line Accounting Manipulation 1984-2018 Description: Verizon, AT&T, CenturyLink, and their association, USTelecom, with the help of the FCC, have manipulated the basic accounting of access lines, and have removed or hidden 80% of all lines, including all Business Data Services, (special access) DSL, competitor lines, FiOS, U-Verse, all of the wires to the cell sites or WiFi hot spots, alarm circuits, and this has been done to reinforce a claim that the utility networks are unprofitable.
  • Report: Solving Net Neutrality: We Found a Fatal Structural Flaw in Every FCC Proceeding”, February 26th, 2018

Partial List of the Proceedings We Filed In:

  • Net Neutrality Internet Order –Restoring Internet Freedom WC 17-108
  • Section 706 —Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecom Capability to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN 17-199
  • Shut off the Copper Proceedings —Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment   Report and Order, Declaratory Ruling, and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – WC Docket No. 17-84
  • Technology Transitions, GN Docket No. 13-5;
  • AT&T Petition to Launch a Proceeding Concerning the TDM-to-IP Transition, GN Docket No. 12-353
  • Wireless Replacement of Wired Services Wireless Infrastructure NPRM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking–WT Docket Nos. 17-79 and 15-180
  • FCC Cost Accounting Rules Review of Part 32 Uniform System of Accounts Docket 14-130
  • Jurisdictional Separations and Referral to the Federal-State Joint Board CC Docket No. 80-286
  • Business Data Services (Special Access)  –in Internet Protocol Environment, Docket No.16-143;
  • Special Access for Price Cap Local Exchange Carriers, WC Docket No. 05-25;
  • AT&T Petition for Rulemaking to Reform Regulation of  ILEC Rates for Interstate Special Access Services, RM-10593.
  • Investigation of Certain Price Cap Local Exchange Carrier Business Data  Service Tariff Pricing Plans Environment WC Docket No. 15-247

The Details

Shut off the Copper Proceeding Filings

Internet Order

  • The Book of Broken Promises: $400 Billion Broadband Scandal and Free the Net is an encyclopedic collection of state-based Fiber optic deployments. It has been filing in multiple FCC proceedings in 2017, including Restoring Internet Freedom WC 17-108

Internet Order: Verizon’s Use of Title II vs  FCC of Title II’s Harms

  • NNI have filed a Petition for the FCC to investigate whether Verizon has committed perjury as Verizon has failed to disclose to the FCC, courts or public that their entire financial investments are based on Title II; filed Jan 13th, 2015.
  • Verizon has responded with a letter denying our claims, filed, Jan 20th, 2015
  • New Networks Institute & Teletruth Response to Verizon”http://newnetworks.com/verizonpetitionresponse/”, Feb 23rd, 2015
  • Verizon: Show Us the Money PART I: Verizon’s FiOS, Fiber Optic Investments, and Title – Part 1: supplement original Petition for Investigation.
  • Letter to the FCC, Comments: Open Internet proceeding. RE: Verizon’s Fiber Optic Networks are “Title II” — here’s What the FCC Should Do. DOCKET: Open Internet Proceeding, (GN No.14-28)
  • Comments First: FCC Open Internet Proceeding “Title Shopping: Solving Net Neutrality Requires Investigations” , July 14th, 2014
  • Comment Second: Verizon’s FiOS Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) Networks are Already Title II in Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, New Jersey, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, New York

Section 706 and Related Filings

Business Data Services: Consumer Federation of America (CFA) New Networks Institute (NNI) Filings

Joint Press Release: Consumer Federation of America and NNI

“BUSINESS DATA SERVICE MARKET PLAGUED BY ILLEGAL COST ALLOCATIONS, OVERCHARGES AND EXCESS PROFITS. Consumer Federation of America and New Networks data show deeply anti-competitive, anti-consumer practices.

REPORTS: Fixing Telecom Series

In December, 2015, we released the first two reports in a new series, “Fixing Telecom” a project that started seven years ago. They  are based on mostly public, but unexamined, information, the findings impacts all wireline and wireless phone, broadband, Internet and even cable TV/video services in America.

REPORTS:

FILINGS:

On December 16th, 2015, we filed the first  reports in 31 separate FCC proceedings.

FCC Comments: Joint Board & FCC Cost Accounting Rules.

We filed comments and refreshed the record in CC 80-186, WC 14-139, CC 80-286, CC 96-45, CC 97-21, WC 05-25, WC 10-90, WC 12-353, GN 13-5, GN 15-191, WC RM-11358

On May 24th, 2017 the IRREGULATORS  filed comments with the FCC and the Federal-State Joint Board. They asked:

  • Re: Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations Seeks to Refresh Record on Issues Related to Jurisdictional Separations, FCC 17J-1
  • Re: Federal-State Joint Board on Separations Seeks Comment on Referral for Recommendations of Rule Changes to Part 36  as a Result of Commission Revisions to Part 32 Accounting Rules, FCC 17J-2
  • On May 15th, 2017 the FCC denied our call for audits of the FCC’s accounting rules and granted itself an extension, even though the FCC froze the way expenses were assigned to the different lines of business — but always having ‘local service pay the majority of costs.
  • On April 17th, 2017,the  IRREGULATORS filed comments with the FCC calling for the Agency  to do audits and investigations of the FCC’s “Big Freeze”. The FCC’s accounting rules were ‘frozen’ 16 years ago and they  have created massive financial cross-subsidies, making local phone customers pay the majority of expenses for all services, from wireless to Broadband Data Services (BDS).

This is important because it documents that the FCC can not create new public policies without accurate financial data,

“We refresh this record, again, with ‘Fixing Telecom’, a report series done as an independent voice, without corporate or political financing, because sometimes the Public should come first.”

  • Report 5: The Hartman Memorandum
  • Report 6:The History & Rules of Setting Phone Rates in America— The FCC’s ‘Big Freeze’ & Cross Subsidies
  • Report1: Executive Summary: Verizon’s Manipulated Financial Accounting & the FCC’s Big “Freeze”
  • Report 2: Full Data Report
  • Report 3: SPECIAL REPORT: How Municipalities and the States can Fund Fiber Optic Wireline and Wireless Broadband Networks.
  • REPORT 4: Data Report Proving Verizon’s Wireline Networks Diverted Capex for Wireless Deployments Instead of Wiring Municipalities, and Charged Local Phone Customers for It.

 FILINGS:

IRREGULATORS’ RESEARCH & ANALYSIS USED IN  INVESTIGATION AND SETTLEMENT VERIZON NY, Filed August 8th, 2017

  • COMMENT 1: Overview and bibliography
  • COMMENT 2: : Verizon NY in Multi-Billion Dollar Settlement Tangle, Underway in NY State. (Originally published in Huffington Post as summary).
  • COMMENT 3: Full Report: Follow the Money: Verizon NY 2016 Annual Report Financial Analysis and Implications

Verizon State Based Reports and Analysis