Incompas Asks FCC to Dismiss USTelecom Forbearance Bid, or Give Comments More Time
Incompas asked the FCC to dismiss USTelecom's wholesale forbearance petition, or at least provide more time for parties to file comments. “This 'competition cut off' petition should be stopped dead in its tracks," said Incompas CEO Chip Pickering in a…
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release Friday. "It only benefits a handful of the biggest telecom companies, and hurts millions of small businesses that rely on affordable competitive broadband service." Incompas said it filed two motions on the USTelecom petition that seeks relief from "unbundled" network sharing discounts and other competition duties (see 1805040016). The first asked that the petition be dismissed because it isn't "complete-as-filed," since it relies on confidential data and purported interviews that weren't included, Incompas said. The second asks for an extension of the time for comments and replies, currently due June 7 and June 22 (see 1805090004). "The petition involves complex issues and, if granted, the impact would be widespread and detrimental to multiple parties and industries," Incompas said. "The Commission should gather necessary data to truly understand the market impact, provide access to data, and allow time for parties to provide economic analysis. The Commission also must engage in a thorough cost-benefit analysis." A USTelecom spokeswoman emailed: “These rules are harming competition and consumers, not helping. Today’s broadband market has evolved tremendously and is now extremely competitive. It’s time for all providers to pay their fair share if they choose to offer service. And it’s way past time for the Commission to modernize these regulations. Our petition lays out in a detailed and fact driven way why the Commission should do so.” The FCC didn't comment.