AT&T and Zeus Wireless continued battling over a...
AT&T and Zeus Wireless continued battling over a contested payment for access charges, Texas Public Utility Commission filings showed last week. The PUC should deny Zeus’s complaint and request for interim relief, AT&T told the commission Friday (http://bit.ly/ZLJ9Dg). It outlined…
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the more than $600,000 it feels it’s owed: “AT&T Texas bills Zeus for the termination and transit services at the rates set forth” in its interconnection agreement with Zeus, the telco said. “Remarkably, however, Zeus refuses to pay a single dime for any of the services.” The dispute had been the subject of a prior PUC proceeding that ended with no relief given. “From January through mid-April 2013, AT&T and Zeus exchanged correspondence and communications between counsel in an attempt to resolve the disputes at issue,” Zeus told the PUC (http://bit.ly/11x7Q2Y), calling that negotiation “unsuccessful.” In March, Zeus accused AT&T of breaching the agreement because AT&T failed to provide new trunks, while AT&T demanded $600,000 of payment, which Zeus interpreted as a threat of ending the agreement on May 15, according to the Zeus filing. “Therefore, interim relief is needed from the Commission in order to prevent Zeus’s service from being interrupted by AT&T and to direct AT&T to provision the services and products ordered by Zeus,” it said. As in the past, Zeus disputes the charges AT&T says it’s owed: “AT&T cannot cram charges for services allegedly provided over a 31 month time period into a single invoice and declare it due and owing in 30 days.” Zeus wants the PUC to make AT&T stop trying to collect the hundreds of thousands of dollars and to ensure the interconnection agreement is preserved. The PUC judged Zeus’s concerns “sufficient” and plans to hold a hearing June 3, it said (http://bit.ly/10OR58t).