Nathan Stratton's Homepage - XIII. ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES

Table of Contents

XIII. ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES

XIII. ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES

1266. Section 706(a) provides that the Commission "shall encourage the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans (including, in particular, elementary and secondary schools and classrooms) by utilizing, in a manner consistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity, price cap regulation, regulatory forbearance, measures that promote competition in the local telecommunications market, or other regulating methods that remove barriers to infrastructure investment."⁽¹⁾ In the NPRM, we sought comment on how we can advance Congress's section 706(a) goal within the context of our implementation of sections 251 and 252.⁽²⁾

1267. A number of parties suggest that rules allowing them to compete effectively and earn a profit in the telecommunications industry would assist the industry in providing telecommunications services to all Americans.⁽³⁾ MFS suggests that "all LECs should be required, as a condition of eligibility for universal service subsidies, to meet network modernization standards for rural telephone companies."⁽⁴⁾ Several state commissions indicate that they have already established programs to assist institutions eligible under section 706 in deploying advanced telecommunications services.⁽⁵⁾ The Alliance for Public Technology asserts that section 706 should underlie all of the FCC's proceedings.⁽⁶⁾ Ericsson states that the industry should work with government agencies to promote leading edge technology to ensure that it is introduced on a reasonably timely basis. For example, it contends that "Plug and Play Internet use" will greatly help the public and schools access information, and that advanced technology such as asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), wireless data/video, and AIN will enhance interconnection capabilities of public and private networks.⁽⁷⁾ The Illinois Commission contends that, depending on the pricing standard the Commission adopts for interconnection and access to unbundled elements, and the Commission's interpretation of the prohibition against discrimination, the Commission should adopt special rules for carriers when they provide interconnection or access to unbundled network elements to serve a school, library, or healthcare provider.⁽⁸⁾

1268. We decline to adopt rules regarding section 706 in this proceeding. We intend to address issues related to section 706 in a separate proceeding.

Footnotes

1. ³¹⁰⁶ 47 U.S.C. 706(a).

2. ³¹⁰⁷ NPRM at para. 263.

3. ³¹⁰⁸ Colorado Ind.Tel. Ass'n comments at 6; COMAV comments at 60-61; GVNW comments at 42; Illinois Ind. Tel. Ass'n comments at 7; Louisiana Commission comments at 24-27.

4. ³¹⁰⁹ MFS comments at 88.

5. ³¹¹⁰ Illinois Commission comments at 85; Louisiana Commission comments at 24-27; Texas Commission comments at 36.

6. ³¹¹¹ Alliance for Public Technology reply at 1-5.

7. ³¹¹² Ericsson comments at 7-8.

8. ³¹¹³ Illinois Commission comments at 86.