FCC Extends USTelecom Forbearance Review; Granite Cites Regulatory Needs
The FCC has given itself 90 more days to review a USTelecom forbearance petition seeking regulatory relief the ILEC group says would promote next-generation networks, the Wireline Bureau said in a Friday order in docket 14-192. The new due date…
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for deciding the petition is Jan. 4, the bureau said in exercising the agency's discretion to extend forbearance deadlines one time. USTelecom describes the relief it wants from Communications Act and FCC rules as "addressing section 271/272 and equal access obligations, rule 64.1903 structural separation requirements, the requirement to provide a 64 kbps voice channel where a copper loop has been retired, section 214(c) obligations where a price cap carrier does not receive high cost universal service support, Computer Inquiry rules, the requirement to provide access to newly deployed entrance conduit at regulated rates, and the prohibition against using contract tariffs for business data services in all regions," the bureau said. Granite Telecom, a CLEC, opposed USTelecom's proposed relief from Section 271 Bell long-distance entry duties and the 64 kbps requirement. Granite said it needs those provisions to gain Bell wholesale access to provide voice service to retail business customers. "Absent the § 271 and the 64 Kbps requirements, the [Bells] would have the incentives and ability to re-monopolize the portion of the business market served by Granite and other competitive carriers," the CLEC said in a filing posted Wednesday. "The [Bells] could accomplish this by imposing substantial wholesale price increase[s] or by simply refusing to renew current wholesale agreements."