Some Oppose Great Plains Waiver Relief From Access Rate Hikes Outside NECA Pool
Some parties opposed a Great Plains Communications request for waiver relief that the telco says would cause "an extreme increase of switched access rates as a result of leaving the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) traffic sensitive pool" (see 1706300038).…
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South Dakota Telecommunications and the North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Carriers said Great Plains "presented no unique circumstances that would justify a waiver." It needs a waiver "solely because of matters bearing upon its due diligence before exiting the NECA switched access pool," said their reply, posted Wednesday in docket 10-90. But Great Plains said initial comments "confirm that special circumstances exist and granting the requested relief is in the public interest." A "diverse set of commenters" -- including Verizon, USTelecom, ITTA and Consolidated Companies -- "agree that a nearly 150% increase in switched access rates not only undermines the transition to bill-and-keep, but could also exacerbate rural call completion problems and increase rates to consumers and businesses in Nebraska," Great Plains said. Nebraska legacy rate-of-return carriers are concerned granting the waiver, plus "identical or substantially similar waiver petitions by other RLECs seeking like treatment that are certain to follow, will adversely affect those RLECs that remained -- in fact, that in many cases were forced to remain -- on the Rate of Return [RoR] Path by increasing the percentage reductions of their High Cost Loop Support and Connect America Fund - Broadband Loop Support ('CAF-BLS') imposed by [FCC] budget control mechanisms." WTA also voiced concern about "me-too" waivers that could disrupt others' funding, but proposed a solution. NECA said the FCC "should consider the fact that a number of carriers electing to exit the NECA pools may experience significant percentage increases in rates."