ISPs to be charged IEXC access fees?

[mikebw@bilow.bilow.uu.ids.net (Mike Bilow)]

  Mike Bilow wrote in a message to Mike Bilow:
  
   MB> See:
  
   MB> Linkname: CNNfn - FCC dials up reform of local-access fees - 
   MB> Dec. 24, 1996
   MB> URL: http://cnnfn.com/hotstories/companies/wires/9612/24/fcc_wg/ 
  
   MB> According to a minor comment at the end of the story, the
   MB> FCC is now asking for public comment on whether ISPs should
   MB> be treated like long distance companies for purposes of
   MB> local access fee charges.
  
  The FCC has posted a news release on this subject at
  
     http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/nrcc6088.txt
  
  and the full text in both ASCII and WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows formats at
  
     http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Notices/fcc96488.txt
     http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Notices/fcc96488.wp
  
  The FCC seems quite cautious, if not outright terrified, realizing that messing
  with the Internet too much could kill it.  In fact, the FCC very much seems to
  understand the real problem:
  
          288.  We tentatively conclude that information service providers 
     should not be required to pay interstate access charges as currently 
     constituted.  As we have explained throughout this Notice, the existing 
     access charge system includes non-cost-based rates and inefficient rate 
     structures.  We see no reason to extend this regime to an additional class 
     of users, especially given the potentially detrimental effects on the 
     growth of the still-evolving information services industry.  Although our 
     original decision in 1983 to treat ESPs as end users rather than carriers 
     was explained as a temporary exemption, we tentatively conclude that the 
     current pricing structure should not be changed so long as the existing 
     access charge system remains in place. The mere fact that providers of 
     information services use incumbent LEC networks to receive calls from their 
     customers does not mean that such providers should be subject to an 
     interstate regulatory system designed for circuit-switched interexchange 
     voice telephony. We seek comment on this tentative conclusion.
  
  Comments in response to the inquiry are due February 21, 1997 and reply
  comments are due March 24, 1997.  The FCC will accept informal filings by
  Internet e-mail; see http://www.fcc.gov/isp.html for instructions.  Internet
  e-mail filings must contain the proper caption code in the subject line, in
  this case "CC Docket No. 96-263."
  
  The full official caption for the Notice of Inquiry is "Usage of the Public
  Switched Network by Information Service and Internet Access Providers, Common
  Carrier Bureau Docket No. 96-263."
   
  -- Mike
  
  
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