TDS reacts to Incompas/Verizon letter to the FCC on Business Data Services
The letter requests the FCC adopt a permanent special access framework.
Today, June 27, 2016, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received a joint letter from Incompas, a federal trade association that represents competitive telecom carriers, and Verizon, one of the largest communications providers in the US. The letter requests the FCC adopt a permanent special access framework that accommodates new technology while encouraging the transition from legacy telecommunication services to internet protocol.
The following statement can be attributed to Jim Butman, group president for TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS®):
“TDS fully supports the business data services framework submitted today by Incompas and Verizon to the FCC. We have long argued the importance of creating an accurate competitive market test that results in the identification of true competitive market characteristics, not artificial benchmarks.
“TDS also supports the prospective Ethernet pricing reform concepts contained in the Incompas/Verizon filing. Ethernet pricing should be appropriately studied and significantly reduced based on actual costs and market conditions. Benchmark prices set by the FCC must ensure that dominant providers are not able to create "price squeeze" conditions by charging non-competitive Ethernet prices to wholesale customers.
“The Incompas/Verizon proposed framework aims to bring more competition to the business data services marketplace, something TDS has been working toward for decades. While challenging issues remain between the parties, the search for common ground and what is best for business consumers, as well as these companies, will continue during the FCC’s ongoing docket process.”
