CenturyLink and Frontier Communications asked the FCC for "nondominant" treatment of price-capped incumbent telcos' business data services (BDS) at all capacity levels. The proposal would free large ILECs from "stultifying tariffing requirements and ex ante regulation," creating a "level playing field" with competitors that don't face such burdens even when they have higher BDS market shares, said the two incumbent telcos in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 05-25.

The FCC appears to be receptive to AT&T's deregulatory business data service plan, said CCMI telecom consultant Andrew Regitsky Friday. It's "likely that AT&T received some type of signal from the Commission suggesting it introduce its plan," he wrote in a blog post. "This is strongly indicative that (1) the Commission will soon address this issue, and (2) Its official proposal is likely to look a lot like the AT&T one." AT&T's plan (see 1703140046) would "let the free market work whenever possible" and "apply minimal regulation" where there's no competition, minimizing "forced ILEC special access price cap decreases," Regitsky wrote. "AT&T’s competitors ought to quickly decide if they can live with this plan (highly unlikely) or quickly come up with a plan of their own and march in to enlighten the FCC. However, with [FCC Chairman Ajit] Pai in charge, carriers seeking additional special access regulation have a mountain in front of them." The FCC, AT&T and Incompas, which represents AT&T rivals, didn't comment.

The FCC appears to be receptive to AT&T's deregulatory business data service plan, said CCMI telecom consultant Andrew Regitsky Friday. It's "likely that AT&T received some type of signal from the Commission suggesting it introduce its plan," he wrote in a blog post. "This is strongly indicative that (1) the Commission will soon address this issue, and (2) Its official proposal is likely to look a lot like the AT&T one." AT&T's plan (see 1703140046) would "let the free market work whenever possible" and "apply minimal regulation" where there's no competition, minimizing "forced ILEC special access price cap decreases," Regitsky wrote. "AT&T’s competitors ought to quickly decide if they can live with this plan (highly unlikely) or quickly come up with a plan of their own and march in to enlighten the FCC. However, with [FCC Chairman Ajit] Pai in charge, carriers seeking additional special access regulation have a mountain in front of them." The FCC, AT&T and Incompas, which represents AT&T rivals, didn't comment.

AT&T said business data services are very competitive and need minimal regulation, as it proposed the FCC adopt a new BDS framework that "would be supported by the record." The proposal, detailed in two filings Tuesday, would add no regulation to Ethernet services, free legacy "transport" services from pricing regulation, and establish a competitive market test in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for legacy "channel terminations" (circuits to business customers akin to loops). The FCC didn't comment.

AT&T said business data services are very competitive and need minimal regulation, as it proposed the FCC adopt a new BDS framework that "would be supported by the record." The proposal, detailed in two filings Tuesday, would add no regulation to Ethernet services, free legacy "transport" services from pricing regulation, and establish a competitive market test in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for legacy "channel terminations" (circuits to business customers akin to loops). The FCC didn't comment.

PwC plans a local number portability administrator transition webinar March 15, 3-4 p.m. (EDT), said a Wireline Bureau public notice Wednesday. PwC, the transition oversight manager as inconectiv takes over Neustar's LNPA duties, also will be at the Incompas show in New Orleans April 4-5, the PN said.

BT pressed its concern about possible FCC business data service action. "BT urged caution against precipitously writing rules regarding BDS and technology transition that would kill competition and further expand and strengthen the dominance of incumbents, highlighting that caution, scrutiny and fresh data are in order in light of the rapid concentration taking place in the telecommunications industry," said its filings Monday in docket 05-25 on meetings with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn (here and here). BT met earlier with an aide to Commissioner Mike O'Rielly (see 1703020048). In separate meetings with the Pai and Clyburn aides, Incompas discussed the status of BDS-related proceedings, according to filings (here and here)

BT pressed its concern about possible FCC business data service action. "BT urged caution against precipitously writing rules regarding BDS and technology transition that would kill competition and further expand and strengthen the dominance of incumbents, highlighting that caution, scrutiny and fresh data are in order in light of the rapid concentration taking place in the telecommunications industry," said its filings Monday in docket 05-25 on meetings with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn (here and here). BT met earlier with an aide to Commissioner Mike O'Rielly (see 1703020048). In separate meetings with the Pai and Clyburn aides, Incompas discussed the status of BDS-related proceedings, according to filings (here and here)

A court granted an FCC request to suspend review of challenges to its 2015 business data service (BDS) tariff investigation order prohibiting certain practices by AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier Communications and Verizon (see 1604280057). The commission was directed to file a status report on 60-day intervals starting April 24, said the brief order (in Pacer) Thursday of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in AT&T v. FCC, No. 16-1145 and consolidated cases. The agency filed a motion to hold the case in abeyance to give it more time to decide on its course. The court in another order (in Pacer) granted motions to intervene filed by the Ad Hoc Telecommunications Users Committee, CenturyLink, Level 3, Sprint and Incompas.

A court granted an FCC request to suspend review of challenges to its 2015 business data service (BDS) tariff investigation order prohibiting certain practices by AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier Communications and Verizon (see 1604280057). The commission was directed to file a status report on 60-day intervals starting April 24, said the brief order (in Pacer) Thursday of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in AT&T v. FCC, No. 16-1145 and consolidated cases. The agency filed a motion to hold the case in abeyance to give it more time to decide on its course. The court in another order (in Pacer) granted motions to intervene filed by the Ad Hoc Telecommunications Users Committee, CenturyLink, Level 3, Sprint and Incompas.