Aureon Presses FCC to Protect CEA Service Viability in Intercarrier Compensation Rules
Aureon Network Services urged the FCC to ensure viability of centralized equal access (CEA) service in any intercarrier compensation rules flowing from last week's NPRM (see 1806060010). Aureon (Iowa Network Services) said its CEA fiber network concentrates traffic of more…
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than 200 rural telcos at an interconnection point in Des Moines, helping RLECs compete with "former monopoly services" of AT&T and CenturyLink in delivering broadband and cable TV. "The NPRM proposes new rules that would remove a substantial volume of traffic from the CEA network," Aureon said on discussions with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, posted Wednesday in docket 18-155. "Aureon may need to charge a per minute CEA tariff rate above the CLEC rate benchmark being investigated in WC Docket No. 18-60 to offset such a large decrease in traffic volume." Staff is probing Aureon access charge tariff revisions -- challenged by AT&T and Sprint -- to comply with a November order that partially granted an AT&T complaint alleging improper CEA charges on traffic heading to CLECs engaged in access stimulation (see 1804200054). "As traffic volume decreases, the per minute CEA rate must increase in order to recover the same fixed network costs," Aureon's filing said. "CEA service does not have end users from which Aureon can recover the costs of providing CEA service, and Aureon does not receive USF or [Connect America Fund] support for CEA service."