New York’s USF proceedings involving intrastate access charge issues will...

with statements in support or opposition due Jan. 4 and reply comments due Jan. 18 (http://xrl.us/bn5pdq). The dispute has centered on whether various stakeholders would be able to resolve what the PSC called “Phase III” intrastate access charge issues in its creation of a $17-million state USF, adopted in August (CD Aug 17 p9). In recent months, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile resisted settling unresolved issues without litigation, and consequently, the PSC set up a litigation prehearing in late November. Verizon and other signatories submitted a joint proposal a little over a week before that conference date (http://xrl.us/bn5pdo). This proposal “would conclude that further action on intrastate access charges in New York is not warranted at this time, pending further FCC action addressing the switched access issues identified” in an FCC further notice of proposed rulemaking, Jack said, nor would it affect New York’s targeted accessibility fund for now. Verizon and other stakeholders want the proposal considered before moving to litigation, but “AT&T continued to insist that the litigation stage of Phase III has been triggered” and suggested a litigation schedule, the ruling said. Jack said he anticipates that a litigation track would mean “further effort to reform access charges will be put off for as much as another year and a half” and opted for direct PSC consideration of the proposal first.