Sorenson Prods FCC to Explore VRS Rate Alternatives; ZVRS Says 'Relief' Badly Needed
Sorenson Communications pressed the FCC to explore "less regulatory" rate proposals in its draft notices and order on video relay services tentatively scheduled for a March 23 commissioners' vote (see 1703020070). The commission should seek comment on additional frameworks for…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
determining VRS compensation rates -- beyond those in a draft Further NPRM -- "that would be more deregulatory in approach," and "minimize line drawing between allowable and categorically disallowed costs that can distort innovations and investment," said Sorenson in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 10-51 on a meeting with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai. The largest VRS provider cited three alternatives: "a market-based auction patterned after capacity auctions conducted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a long-term price cap based on a reasonable efficient provider, and a deregulatory approach founded in private contracts." Sorenson noted it had outlined the first two on March 7 (see 1703080060) and described all three options more fully. In a filing Wednesday on a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Mike O'Rielly, ZVRS, a small provider, said the current schedule of compensation rate cuts harmed "all non-dominant providers," which "desperately need rate relief before July 1, 2017 as outlined" in their joint proposal and the draft FNPRM.