Source: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-acts-aspects-us-telecom-forbearance-petition?contrast=
Timestamp: 2015-11-29 11:39:07
Document Index: 194544577

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 160', '§ 160', '§ 160', '§ 64', '§ 64', '§ 64', '§ 64', 'art 32', '§ 220', '§ 32', '§ 32', 'art 42', '§ 42', '§ 43', '§ 51', '§ 214', '§ 63', '§ 64', '§ 64', '§ 65']

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FCC Acts on Aspects of US Telecom Forbearance Petition
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FCC 13-23
United States Telecom Association Petition for )
WC Docket No. 12-61
Forbearance Under 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) from )
Enforcement of Certain Legacy )
Adopted: February 19, 2013
By the Commission: Commissioners McDowell and Pai issuing separate statements.
In this order, we address portions of a petition for forbearance filed by the United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) pursuant to section 10 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the Act).1 The USTelecom Petition seeks forbearance from 17 different categories of our rules, which USTelecom argues are “legacy telecommunications regulations” that are unnecessary and outdated.2 We address three of those categories here: Traffic Damage Claim Rules;3 Rules Governing Extension of Unsecured Credit for Interstate and Foreign Communications Services to Candidates for Federal Office;4 and Rules Governing Furnishing of Facilities to Foreign Governments for International Communications.5 2.
We conclude that forbearance from these rules, in the limited circumstances discussed below, furthers the Act’s and Commission’s goals of eliminating unnecessary and outdated legacy regulations that do not reflect today’s marketplace. USTelecom’s request regarding the remaining 1 Petition of USTelecom for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) from Enforcement of Certain Legacy Telecommunications Regulations, WC Docket No. 12-61 at 2 (filed Feb. 16, 2012) (USTelecom Petition). On February 7, 2013, pursuant to section 10(c) of the Act, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) extended until May 17, 2013, the date on which the USTelecom Petition shall be deemed granted in the absence of a Commission decision that the petition fails to meet the standard for forbearance under section 10(a) of the Act. See Petition of USTelecom for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) from Enforcement of Certain Legacy Telecommunications Regulations, WC Docket No. 12-61, Order, DA 13-172 (WCB rel. Feb. 7, 2013). 2 See Pleading Cycle Established for Comments on United States Telecom Association Petition for Forbearance from Certain Telecommunications Regulations, WC Docket No. 12-61, Public Notice, DA 12-352 (WCB rel. March 8, 2012) (USTelecom Forbearance PN). In some instances, USTelecom seeks forbearance for all telecommunications carriers, and in other instances only for a subset of telecommunications carriers. USTelecom Petition. 3 47 C.F.R. § 64.1 (identified as category eleven in the USTelecom Forbearance PN).4 47 C.F.R. § 64.804(g) (identified within category thirteen in the USTelecom Forbearance PN).5 47 C.F.R. § 64.301 (identified as category fifteen in the USTelecom Forbearance PN).
categories of rules is pending and under active consideration by the Commission, and will be addressed at a later time.6
USTelecom’s Petition 3.
The portions of USTelecom petition that we address in this Order relate to rules that the Commission enacted before the development of the public Internet or the widespread availability of broadband. USTelecom claims that these rules are based on outdated assumptions about the technologies and business models that form the basis of the current communications industry.7 USTelecom asserts that these regulations no longer serve any regulatory purpose or provide the Commission with any useful information necessary to perform its regulatory functions.8 USTelecom further states that the regulations at issue impose undue costs and burdens, and apply only to incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) or a small subset of ILECs, while other competitors, including cable operators, wireless carriers and VoIP providers, enjoy a competitive advantage as they are exempt from these rules.9 Finally, USTelecomargues that these regulations adversely affect competition, and are therefore detrimental to consumers, and that the elimination of the legacy telecommunications regulations at issue is necessary to realize the pro-competitive goals of the 1996 Act.10
Forbearance Standard
The Commission is required to forbear from any statutory provision or regulation if it determines that: (1) enforcement of the regulation is not necessary to ensure that the telecommunications carrier’s charges, practices, classifications, or regulations are just, reasonable, and not unjustly or unreasonably discriminatory; (2) enforcement of the regulation is not necessary to protect consumers; and (3) forbearance from applying such provision or regulation is consistent with the public interest.11 In determining whether forbearance is consistent with the public interest, the Commission also must consider “whether forbearance from enforcing the provision or regulation will promote competitive 6 See USTelecom Forbearance PN. The remaining categories are: Category 1: Equal Access Scripting Requirement; Category 2: Open Network Architecture and Comparably Efficient Interconnection Requirements, Enhanced Services Structural Separation Rule (47 C.F.R. § 64.702), and All-Carrier Computer Inquiry Rules; Category 3: Cost Assignment Rules; Category 4: Part 32 Uniform System of Accounts (47 U.S.C. § 220(a)(2), 47 C.F.R. §§ 32.1-2.9000); Category 5: Property Record Rules (47 C.F.R. §§ 32.2000(e), (f)); Category 6: Part 42 Recordkeeping Requirements (47 C.F.R. §§ 42.4, 42.5, 42.7, 42.10(a)); Category 7: ARMIS Report 43-01; Category 8: Annual Revenue and Total Communications Plant Reporting (47 C.F.R. § 43.21(c); Category 9: Rules Governing Notices of Network Changes (47 C.F.R. §§ 51.329(a)(2), 51.333(a)-(f), 52.333(b)); Category 10: Service Discontinuance Approval Requirements (47 U.S.C. § 214, 47 C.F.R. §§ 63.30, 63.61, 63.62, 63.63, 63.71(a)(5), 63.71(c), 63.90(a)(8)); Category 12: Structural Separation Requirements for Independent ILECs (47 C.F.R. § 64.1903); Category 13: Rules Governing Extension of Unsecured Credit for Interstate and Foreign Communications Services to Candidates for Federal Office (47 C.F.R. §§ 64.801, 64.804(a)-(f)); Category 14: “Cash Working Capital Allowance” Requirement (47 C.F.R. § 65.820(d)); Category 16: