WIRELINE BUREAU CHIEF MAHER TO LEAVE FCC
FCC Wireline Bureau Chief William Maher has resigned but doesn’t plan to leave until the end of Aug. at the earliest, knowledgeable sources inside and outside the Commission said Tues. Maher didn’t return a phone call to confirm the reports. “We don’t comment on individual personnel items,” said Christopher Libertelli, FCC Chmn. Powell’s wireline adviser. Maher reportedly doesn’t have a new job lined up, although many top FCC people leave without one because of ethical questions raised by interviewing for jobs while at the FCC. Sources said Maher handed his resignation to Powell on Fri. One insider, who wouldn’t discuss the resignation in detail, did emphasize that Maher “was not told he had to go.”
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Sources speculated the agency wouldn’t appoint a permanent replacement because so little time remains before the Presidential elections. No matter which party wins those elections, a change at the agency is expected because FCC Chmn. Powell has hinted he might leave his post sometime after the election. Instead, the agency is expected to name an acting chief, probably from within the FCC. Jeffrey Carlisle, senior deputy chief of the bureau, was mentioned by several sources as a candidate for the job. Other senior staff at the bureau who might be candidates are Deputy Chief Carol Mattey and Chief of Staff Richard Lerner.
“This isn’t a good thing for the chairman” because important actions such as the final UNE rules will still be under consideration when Maher leaves, said an industry source who didn’t want to be identified. Another industry source said he didn’t think the agency would complete the final UNE rules by the election so it might not matter. However, the bureau also is involved in several other big- ticket issues such as intercarrier compensation and remaining VoIP petitions. “I was floored with the timing part,” said one source. Maher was expected to leave soon but “I expected November, or December,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the FCC is expected to deal with interim UNE rules at its Aug. 4 agenda meeting. Although draft rules are circulating among commissioners, it’s doubtful the rules will be approved before the meeting because not all commissioners are expected to sign off by then. The interim order reportedly will include: (1) A 6-month freeze on existing interconnection agreements. (2) If no final rules were in place after 6 months, market rates would be applied to new CLEC customers and a price increase to existing ones. Medley Global Advisors reported that this in effect would “preclude CLECs from continuing to add new customers via UNE-P at TELRIC rates” if after 6 months there were no final rules in place or the Commission had decided there were no barriers to entry for competitors.
The order setting out interim rules is expected to include a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on final rules. A NARUC source said the NPRM will seek, among other things, input on state hot cut and impairment proceedings.