FCC Chairman Martin Addresses NARUC

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
Date: July 26, 2005 2:14:13 PM EDT
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net () warpspeed com>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] FCC Chairman Martin Addresses NARUC
Reply-To: dewayne () warpspeed com


FCC Chairman Martin Addresses NARUC
Reported by Colin Sandy

Kevin J. Martin made his first address to NARUC as FCC Chairman at  
its annual meeting in Austin, Texas today.  Chairman Martin focused  
on three broad areas of regulation:  Universal Service, Intercarrier  
Compensation, and Broadband deployment.  Martin called for flexible  
and technologically neutral approaches to regulating in the three key  
areas.

Opening his talk with Universal Service, Martin said the system is  
“breaking” and criticized the current contribution and distribution  
methodologies.  He said it is a priority of his commission to  
maintain a “sufficient and sustainable” fund.  To achieve this goal,  
he said the contribution method should be based on numbers for  
several reasons.  Martin said basing contribution on numbers: 1) has  
legal authority under section 251 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act,  
2) is easy to administer, 3) is technologically neutral, 4) is  
understandable to consumers, 5) promotes numbering resource  
conservation and 6) does not require new legislation.  Chairman  
Martin added in the Q&A session that states should be given greater  
control over the utilization of numbering resources because state  
PUCs are closer to the small businesses that are greatly affected by  
numbering changes.

Chairman Martin said he supports a “rational and unified” approach to  
Intercarrier Compensation that would reduce arbitrage, create  
efficiencies, and encourage investment.  Martin called a single  
unitary rate “a step in the right direction,” but said that a rate of  
zero or bill-and-keep was “not politically viable” because it would  
create undesirable increases in end user rates.  Martin praised and  
encouraged the work of the NARUC Intercarrier Compensation Task  
Force, which has been working on an industry solution for several  
months.  He also called for the creation of  a methodology to lessen  
the impact of intercarrier compensation reform on rural states and  
rural areas, and mentioned the possibility of a “glide path” or  
alternate regulation that would avoid a flash cut.

Chairman Martin stated that President Bush’s mandate to provide  
universal broadband access by 2007 was a priority of the Commission.   
To achieve this mandate Martin said there had to be an environment  
that would encourage investment.  The Chairman said the Commission is  
quickly working towards regulatory parity between both broadband  
services and broadband service providers.  Martin said the “Brand X”  
Supreme Court decision has given the Commission the opportunity for  
them to level the playing field for broadband providers and provided  
a “clear regulatory roadmap.”   Although Chairman Martin said he  
supports a broadband environment “free of economic regulation.”  He  
said that he is committed to meeting the needs of law enforcement and  
said the same ability to warrant surveillance in a circuit switched  
environment would be maintained in packet switched environment where  
it is considered a substitute.

Commissioner Jorge Bauermeister, Chair of NARUC's Committee on  
Consumer Affairs, commended Chairman Martin for allowing Spanish  
translation for the deaf and hard of hearing to be compensated under  
the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) program.  Commissioner  
Bauermeister will be leaving the Puerto Rico Commission next week to  
start his own practice.
Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com>



-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/