Interstate Access Charge Proceedings for March 2013

Compiled by Andrew Regitsky, President, Regitsky & Associates

FCC Departures Could Impact Net Neutrality, Broadband Regulation and Move to IP Telephony, But Should Have Negligible Effects on Special Access and Inter-Carrier Compensation Reform

The announced upcoming departures of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Republican Commissioner Robert McDowell should not significantly slow down the two major FCC proceedings affecting access charges. Neither the special access proceeding (05-25) in which the Commission is considering new regulations for ILEC special access rates, nor the inter-carrier compensation proceeding (10-90) in which there is an ongoing multi-year transition to reduce ILEC terminating access rates and reciprocal compensation rates to a bill-and-keep environment are ripe for FCC decision-making. Thus there is plenty of time for new commissioners to be appointed and come up to speed on these issues.

Level 3 Consent Decree Shows FCC is Serious about Improving Call Completion in Rural Areas

We mentioned last month that the FCC was finally addressing the growing problem of completing long distance calls in rural areas. On February 7, 2013, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), to develop call completion rules. Now the Commission has followed that action by requiring Level 3 to sign a consent decree that will require the CLEC to adopt rigorous new call completion standards...

FCC Docket 05-25 – Special Access Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – ILECs Say Thumbs down to Immediate Restrictions Special Access Pricing Terms & Conditions

As expected, ILECs have reacted very negatively to the proposal made by a group of CLECs requesting the Commission to take immediate action to limit ILEC special access market power. The CLECs claimed that ILEC special access terms and conditions are significantly damaging competition and should be addressed before the Commission completes its special access market analysis.

Read the complete text of the FCC updates here (a PDF will open).