Sprint Urges FCC to Deny AT&T, CenturyLink/Frontier Proposals for BDS Deregulation

Sprint urged the FCC to reject incumbent telco business data service proposals "and the dramatic price increases" they would spark, and instead adopt a BDS order "built on the consensus developed" after the commission issued an order and Further NPRM last May. Sprint submitted a detailed response at the FCC to the recent deregulatory BDS proposals of AT&T, CenturyLink and Frontier Communications (see 1703140046 and 1703210017). "There is no lawful basis for the Commission to accept these ILECs’ efforts to remove protections for the thousands of American businesses around the nation that buy dedicated broadband services," said the Sprint filing posted Thursday in docket 05-25. "At a minimum, if the Commission is considering a new proposal similar to the plans proposed by these ILECs, which would represent a fundamental course reversal, it must reveal its reasoning, conduct a new economic analysis that supports such a dramatic change, publish the details of its new proposal, and give the public an opportunity for notice and comment." Incompas emailed that it "agrees with Sprint that AT&T’s and CenturyLink/Frontier’s latest proposals for BDS will further rig the market for incumbents. The consequences of the proposals are undeniable. Small businesses, healthcare facilities, schools and libraries will end up paying more for BDS if they are adopted. In addition to raising prices and harming competition, investment in 5G infrastructure will be reduced. As the referee, the Commission must call the fouls when they see them." AT&T, CenturyLink and Frontier didn't comment.