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USTelecom Asks FCC to Stay, Reconsider Rural Call Completion Monitoring Duties

USTelecom asked the FCC to stay and reconsider parts of a rural call completion order it adopted and released in April along with a Further NPRM (see 1804170025 and 1804180025). The ILEC group supports the order's requirements that covered providers…

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monitor the performance of their intermediate providers and correct problems but seeks a stay of the monitoring rule (Section 64.2111) "during the pendency" of the further notice, said one petition posted Tuesday in docket 13-39. USTelecom said it would be irreparably harmed absent relief because the monitoring rule currently will take effect Oct. 17 regardless of whether the FCC has adopted obligations for intermediate providers. It's "unrealistic and counterproductive for the Commission to mandate monitoring requirements for non-safe-harbor providers by an arbitrary date before it has established the registration, self-monitoring and service quality standards for Intermediate Providers," the group said. "The Commission established its initial 6 month transition period after acknowledging that 'covered providers will need some time to evaluate and renegotiate contracts with Intermediate Providers in order to comply with the monitoring requirement.' However, those same contracts cannot be renegotiated or amended until all the parties have an understanding of the service quality standards for which Intermediate Providers must monitor." In another petition, USTelecom said "industry and consumers would be better served by reconsideration of the uncodified rules governing the monitoring obligations of non-safe-harbor providers."