FCC urges carriers to turn off copper networks, upgrade to fiber, BUT ...
http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/08/fcc-urges-carriers-to-turn-off-copper-networks-upgrade-to-fiber/
The FCC today imposed new rules on carriers that intend
to turn off copper networks and replace them with fiber, but
said that carriers should feel free to make the switch as long
as they keep providing the same services to customers. As
before, carriers still need approval from the FCC before
shutting off copper networks in cases where they intend to
reduce or discontinue service. "However, carriers will retain
the flexibility to retire their copper networks in favor of
fiber without prior Commission approval--as long as no service
is discontinued, reduced, or impaired," the commission said in
its announcement ... The FCC enacted the backup power
requirements without any dissenting votes. But there was some
controversy. The new copper shutoff notification requirement was
passed as part of a larger ruling that also addresses services
offered to competing carriers. Smaller carriers sometimes buy
network access from incumbents in order to serve small
businesses, schools, libraries, health care facilities, and
government offices, the FCC noted. Today's vote prevents
carriers from discontinuing these services when they shut off
copper networks, requiring that "replacement services be offered
to competitive providers at rates, terms and conditions that are
reasonably comparable to those of the legacy services," the FCC
said. This is an interim measure that will be in place until the
FCC completes a separate proceeding that will examine this
market in more detail ... While carriers have to get FCC
permission before discontinuing, reducing, or impairing service,
the FCC today noted that it "has never codified the criteria
used to evaluate and compare replacement and legacy services."
Thus, the commission is seeking comment on criteria to be used,
including "support for 911 services and call centers; network
capacity and reliability; quality of both voice service and
Internet access; interoperability with devices and services,
such as alarm services and medical monitoring; access for people
with disabilities, including compatibility with assistive
technologies; [and] network security."
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--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein ([email protected]): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Founder:
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- PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
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