USTelecom Presses FCC to Sunset Rural Call Completion Record-Keeping Rules
USTelecom urged the FCC to eliminate data recording and retention rules, as contemplated in a draft rural call completion order set for a vote Friday, despite NTCA resistance (see 1903050041). It said the obligations don't provide the commission "any meaningful…
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utility" and are a burden on "covered" originating providers. "While NTCA speculatively argues that the mandate for retaining the data required under the current rules somehow leads to improved call completion, it provides no evidence of a correlation," said a USTelecom filing posted Monday on meeting an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai, accompanied by similar filings on meeting aides to other commissioners, in docket 13-39. "Nor could it. There is no evidence in the record demonstrating correlation between simply recording and retaining certain data and improved call completion to rural areas." NTCA repeated its arguments in a filing Friday on meetings with aides to Commissioners Mike O'Rielly, Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr. A counsel representing U.S. long-distance providers that hand off 100 percent of their voice traffic directly to foreign carriers for terminating outside the country urged the FCC to add language to the draft. Clarify it "will not require the final 'intermediate provider' in the United States to ensure that any additional, non-U.S. intermediate providers, are registered" with the commission, recommended Robert Koppel of Lukas LaFuria on discussions with aides to all five commissioners. He said compliance would be "almost impossible" and the agency lacks jurisdiction.