Intercarrier Compensation Plan Filed at FCC

A group of state regulators and "interested parties" submitted a plan to the FCC for Recip Comp. "The plan establishes a 3-tiered compensation approach for large, medium and small carriers. It would impose a uniform set of technical and financial requirements for carriers to complete calls, says Joel Lubin, Missoula Plan spokesman and vice president of federal government affairs at AT&T. ... CTIA responded to the filing by issuing a joint statement with Alltel, Cox Communications, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, McCleodUSA Communications and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, among others. The groups weren't happy with the proposal." That probably means that the RBOCs get all the advantages (surprise!) and everyone else has to pay up. In the long-term this means that the amount of traffic that will be diverted from the PSTN will grow. This is a perfect opportunity to put together an ENUM Consortium so that all ENUM diverts the PSTN as often as possible. I know all this FCC action is to prop up the PSTN and its Bell owners, but we are in a new era and these stodgy old-timers are joining the 21st century.