ALTS submitted proposal to FCC to curb high CLEC access charges w...

ALTS submitted proposal to FCC to curb high CLEC access charges without more drastic measure of mandatory detariffing. ALTS plan proposed Thurs. would: (1) Set ceiling of 2.5 cents per min. for CLECs serving large markets. Different formula would be used for rural CLECs. (2) Make CLECs subject to mandatory detariffing if they exceeded ceiling. (3) Protect CLECs from “harassing” tactics by large interexchange carriers (IXCs). For example, FCC would “affirm” that IXCs couldn’t refuse to pay filed tariff rates. Agency also would define terms under which IXCs could refuse to terminate service to end users served by CLECs that charged higher-than-permissible access rates. Proposal, called Guaranteed Reduced Exchange Access Tariffs (GREAT), was presented in comments to FCC on whether mandatory detariffing should be used to discourage excessive rates (CC Doc. 97-146). Agency had expressed concern that under “filed rate doctrine” of tariff law, CLECs could set unreasonably high rates and enforce payment through federal tariffs. ALTS said plan would “ensure reasonable CLEC access charge levels while at the same time promoting regulatory certainty.”