Telco Access Alert is a regular update of new and ongoing telecommunications regulatory proceedings at the state and federal levels.

FCC / INTERSTATE ACCESS CHARGE PROCEEDINGS

NEW FOR FEB. 2012

Docket 10-90 – Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Industry Comments on Inter-Carrier Compensation (ICC) Issues

On February 24, 2012, the industry filed initial comments on several pending ICC reform subjects. 

Docket 10-90 – Order – Released Feb. 3, 2012 – VoIP Traffic

The FCC released an Order clarifying certain rules adopted in its ICC Restructure Order.  Specifically, the Commission stated regarding VoIP traffic.

Docket 01-92 – Declaratory Ruling – Released Feb. 6, 2012 – Call Completion Issues

In response to concerns by rural ILECs and state commissions that there are serious call completion and service quality issues in areas served by rate-of-return (ROR) ILECs, the FCC issued a Declaratory Ruling clarifying the scope of the Commission’s prohibition on blocking, choking, reducing or restricting telephone traffic. 

For the complete text of the FCC updates, view this PDF.

INTRASTATE ACCESS CHARGE PROCEEDINGS

NEW FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 2, 2012

Ohio – Case No. 10-2387-TP-COI, Updated February 29, 2012.

http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/TiffToPDf/A1001001A12B29B54403G20999.pdf

On February 29, 2012, the Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUCO) in response to the FCC Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in WC Docket No. 07-135, directed that all ILECs affected are to file an application with the PUCO on or before April 4, 2012 for their proposed transitional intrastate access rates. The applications must include all of the supporting calculations for the proposed rates.

The PUCO further ordered that the current intrastate access rates will remain in effect until June 30, 2012. Unless the rates are suspended by the Commission they will automatically go into effect on July 1, 2012. If an application is suspended by the Commission, the rates will be subjected to a true-up as of July 1, 2012 once they are approved.

If a carrier fails to file an application on a timely basis, the applicable and effective intercarrier compensation rates will be deemed unreasonable and unjust effective July 1, 2012. As such the carrier will be prohibited from charging the intrastate intercarrier traffic until the Commission has approved the applicable tariffs.

For a complete list of previous intrastate access charge proceedings, view this PDF.

INTRASTATE RATE CHANGES

The table below reflects any tariff updates that occurred in the past week. If any of these updates are related access filings required under the new FCC Intercarrier Compensation Reform Order, they will be noted in the “FCC Docket 10-90” column. To access any of the linked documents below, you'll need a subscription to CCMI's online rate and tariff document service, TelView. Learn more about TelView here.

Stay up-to-date with both intrastate and interstate access charge proccedings by subscribing to our TelcoExchange Blog. You'll receive notifications when there are changes, plus helpful and informative articles about what's happening in the telecommunications industry.

Photo courtesy of Lacey and Cielle via Flickr