Ex Parte Meetings Begin on IP Transition
An ILEC should not discontinue services competitors use to serve business customers “until it offers comparable successor services on rates, terms and conditions,” Comptel General Counsel Angie Kronenberg and Vice President-Regulatory Affairs Karen Reidy told aides to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn…
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Thursday, said an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 12-353. Competitors should receive adequate notice before an incumbent is allowed to retire a service, Lisa Youngers, XO vice president-regulatory affairs, and Kelley Drye’s Thomas Cohen and Edward Yorkgitis told an aide to Commissioner Mike O’Rielly Thursday, said an ex parte filing in the docket. Responding to the aide, Youngers said competitors buying copper loops that incumbents want to retire “may be an option in very select instances, but there were not insignificant logistical issues.” Establishing a strong checklist for changes to the phone network would address concerns that carriers are “forcibly migrating consumers off copper-based service,” Public Knowledge’s Harold Feld, senior vice president; Jodie Griffin, senior staff attorney; Clarissa Ramon, government affairs and outreach associate; and Edyael Casaperalta, coordinator of the Rural Broadband Policy Group, told aides to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn Tuesday, said an ex parte notice posted in the docket Thursday. The commission should “establish the metrics by which new technologies will be evaluated when carriers wish to transition away from their existing networks,” they said. Copper retirement rules, “including rules regarding adequate maintenance and consumer education, will only be effective if they are paired with adequate enforcement mechanisms,” they said. In light of the problems on Fire Island, New York, after Superstorm Sandy, the commission should also establish guidelines for situations when carriers want to change a network after a natural disaster, the filing said. Griffin, Ramon and Casaperalta made similar points to an aide to O’Rielly the same day, according to an ex parte filing. Griffin and Casaperalta also made those points to an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, also Tuesday, another filing said. Chairman Tom Wheeler is circulating a draft NPRM, expected to be taken up at the commission’s Nov. 21 meeting, which would raise issues on copper retirement (see 1410310047).