[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 165 (Tuesday, August 26, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 45254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-22549]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[CC Docket No. 87-313, FCC 97-168]
Policy Concerning Rates for Dominant Carriers
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On May 30, 1997, the Commission released a Memorandum Opinion
and Order (``Order'') establishing sufficient reporting requirements
for incumbent local exchange carriers (ILEC's) to enable the Commission
and the industry to monitor the service quality provided to ILEC's
competitors. In the Order, we addressed the issues raised in the
petitions filed by TCA, ICA, CFA and the ILECs. We also make
modifications to our service quality and infrastructure reporting
requirements consistent with the provisions of the Telecommunications
Act of 1996 (``1996 Act'').
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janice Jamison, Attorney/Advisor,
Accounting and Audits Division, Common Carrier Bureau, (202) 418-2290.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1996 Act requires that ``quality
services should be available at just, reasonable and affordable
rates.'' It also requires ILEC's to make available quality services to
competing local exchange carriers (CLECs) without discrimination and
with reasonable access to ILEC networks. Section 259 of the Act directs
ILECs to make available, under certain conditions, public switched
network infrastructure and other capabilities to qualifying carriers
that are providing universal service outside the providing ILEC's
telephone exchange. Additionally, Section 259 of the 1996 Act directs
ILEC's to make available, under certain conditions, public switched
network infrastructure and other capabilities to qualifying carriers
that are providing universal service outside the area in which the ILEC
providing the support operates. The Commission recognizes that local
competition will begin through interconnection, resale, and
infrastructure sharing. These methods involve facilities and services
that ILEC's will provide to their competitors. For competition to
flourish, there must be assurances that competitors receive the same
level of service quality and facility maintenance that an incumbent
carrier provides itself. A primary objective of this proceeding is to
establish sufficient reporting requirements for ILEC's to enable the
Commission and the industry to monitor the service quality provided to
ILECs' competitors. Prior to the enactment of the 1996 Act, the Common
Carrier Bureau (``Bureau'') released the Service Quality Modifications
Order. In that Order, the Bureau deferred decisions about whether to
modify the Automated Reporting Management Information System
(``ARMIS'') reports that the Commission has used to monitor service
quality of, and infrastructure development by, mandatory price cap
carriers. Specifically, the Order deferred decisions on the
modifications to ARMIS Reports 43-05, 43-06, and 43-07.
ARMIS is an automated system developed in 1987 for collecting
common carrier financial and operating information. Additional reports
were added to the ARMIS system in 1991 specifically to monitor service
quality and network infrastructure development under price cap
regulation. Today, ARMIS consists of ten reports. Two of these ARMIS
reports, the Service Quality Quarterly Report 43-05 and the Service
Quality Semi-annual Report 43-06, originally filed four times a year
have become annual filings as required by section 402(b)(2)(B) of the
1996 Act. As modified the ARMIS Service Quality Report (43-05) collects
data designed to capture trends in service quality under price cap
regulation and improves and standardizes reporting requirements for
this purpose. The ARMIS Service Quality Report (43-06) collects data
designed to capture trends in service quality under price cap
regulation. The ARMIS Report (43-07) collects data designed to capture
trends in telephone industry infrastructure development under price cap
regulation.
Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-22549 Filed 8-25-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
