At its November 21, 2014, Open Meeting the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking to update some of its rules to reflect the shift from TDM-based networks to IP-based networks. According to the FCC’s
News Release, the NPRM will address three main areas: preserving competition when a legacy service is discontinued; ensuring there is notice of removal or replacement of legacy services; and protecting consumer’s ability to reach 911 during a power outage. The FCC also adopted a declaratory ruling clarifying when carriers must seek approval to discontinue a service. The NPRM apparently is the proposal referred to by FCC Chairman Wheeler in his October 31, 2014, blog.
See the
Regulatory Mix dated 11/3/14
.
Preserving competition when a legacy service is discontinued: The FCC recognizes that small and medium-sized businesses, schools, hospitals, and other government institutions often rely on services delivered by competitive broadband and phone providers. However, these providers may be unable to reach these same customers if incumbent carriers withdraw certain “last mile” services. Accordingly, the NPRM: