The FCC is seeking comment on a proposal to deregulate major
phone companies.
The telephone companieslast month asked to get out from under decades of voice service regs.
USTelecom asked for a declaratory ruling that the fact that
incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) provide switched-access services no
longer means they are presumptively the dominant providers of voice services,
pointing to new IP nets and service provided by competitors, like cable
operators now bundling voice service into their offerings.
Such a determination would get those telecoms out from under
historic tariffs, though not obligations like 911 and privacy and disability
access.
The FCC has set Feb. 25 as the deadline for comments and
March 12 for reply comments.
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