USTelecom, NTCA Want Rural Call Completion Recon Petitions OK'd Despite Opposition
USTelecom and NTCA urged the FCC to grant their requests to revisit certain rural call completion (RCC) rules adopted in an April order (see 1804170025). USTelecom noted NCTA and ITTA backed, and only NTCA opposed, its petition to reconsider rules…
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on intermediate carrier monitoring obligations of "covered" (originating) providers not subject to a safe harbor. The rules take effect Oct. 17, though USTelecom sought a related stay. NTCA "glosses over the valid concerns" and "mischaracterizes key aspects" of the order, USTelecom replied, posted Tuesday in docket 13-39. NTCA responded to opponents of its petition asking the FCC to require covered providers to file their RCC monitoring procedures (see 1808060027). "It is difficult, if not impossible, to see how the task of submitting procedures already required to be documented by the Commission could possibly be 'burdensome,'" replied NTCA: "The benefit is certain and clear," giving covered providers "better incentives both to develop effective procedures and then to hold fast to those procedures" and allowing the FCC to forego "potentially time consuming recordkeeping requests" in future investigations. Verizon backed FCC efforts to implement the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act (RCC Act), the subject of an accompanying April Further NPRM. "Limit application of the RCC Act to rural areas," adopt "flexible service quality standards for intermediate providers" and "establish compliance deadlines," recommended the telco on a discussion with Wireline Bureau officials. HD Tandem "explained the cost-shifting techniques of different carriers in handling" rural call traffic and backed "registration for all intermediate carriers," said a filing on a discussion with some of those staffers.