Al Lewis, chief of the FCC Wireline Bureau’s Pricing Policy...
Al Lewis, chief of the FCC Wireline Bureau’s Pricing Policy Division, told colleagues at the FCC last week he is leaving the agency, industry officials said Friday. Lewis’s departure comes at a critical time as the FCC takes on special…
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access reform. FCC officials signaled to competitive carriers that the FCC’s long-awaited order on special access rates will be a focus of the agency this year (CD Jan 27 p1). One competitive carrier lawyer said Lewis’s departure is an important development since he was expected to be a key player as the agency looks more closely at special access reform. But an FCC official said the Wireline Bureau has a “deep bench” of staffers with knowledge on special access. Lewis was previously a lawyer for AT&T. USTelecom, meanwhile, made a filing at the FCC Friday reporting on a meeting there at which wireline carrier officials asked for a special access update “in light of the recent completion of the second round data request.” The letter takes aim at competitors. “USTelecom expressed concern that while ILECs provided extensive data in response to this request, it appears (based upon a review of the Commission’s electronic filing system) that only four non-ILECs provided any data at all in response to an inquiry that sought data from a very broad array of industry participants,” the letter said. “In particular, it appears that many of the entities that have urged aggressive regulatory action in this proceeding chose not to participate in the voluntary data request.” The ILEC representatives met with Zac Katz, soon to be FCC chief of staff, and Wireline Bureau Chief Sharon Gillett among other agency officials.