Paul Hudson focuses on digital rights management, telecommunications convergence, and competition policy, including next-generation cable architecture and set-top box issues. He represents cable service providers and competitive telecommunications carriers on regulatory and contract matters before the Federal Communications Commission, state public service commissions, and state and federal courts. Paul also represents numerous cable operators, with a special emphasis on small and medium-size operators.
Selected Experience
Interconnection Agreements and Telecommunications Services Contracts
- Negotiates and arbitrates wholesale and retail telecommunications contracts and interconnection agreements.
- Negotiates contract dispute settlements and releases, and has won multimillion-dollar judgments before state public service commissions and in American Arbitration Association proceedings.
Broadband Stimulus
- Drafted three successful Recovery Act broadband stimulus award applications and is now assisting award recipients in executing grant agreements and complying with program regulations.
Set-top Box Regulations
- Represented the cable industry in the two-way “plug-and-play” negotiations between the cable industry and the consumer electronics and IT industries, and in the “AllVid” proceeding before the FCC.
- Obtained waivers for 10 cable operators from the FCC’s ban on the deployment of integrated set-top boxes, including the first all-digital waiver, the first financial hardship waiver, the first HD/DVR waiver, and the first refurbished device waiver granted by the FCC.
Universal Service
- Advises on federal and state universal service fund and other tax and fee programs, including their potential application to emerging IP and other new services, initial launches of voice and transport services by cable operators, wholesale exemption forms, reporting strategies for companies that previously have not filed or have underreported, and universal service reform proposals.
E-Rate
- Advises service providers and school districts in compliance with the federal Schools and Libraries “e-rate” program, including drafting contracts and managing responses to Program Integrity Assurance audits by the Universal Service Administrative Company.
Customer Proprietary Network Information
- Developed policies and employee training materials for Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) rules for more than 40 service providers.