Groups Urge FCC to Move Forward on IP Interconnection Reforms
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation filed comments Wednesday supporting an FCC proposal to forbear from enforcing incumbent interconnection obligations specific to local exchange carriers. Initial comments the agency's IP interconnection NPRM, approved by commissioners in October (see 2510280024), are due Jan. 5 in docket 25-304.
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Current rules date to a period when a regulated monopoly dominated the broadband market, ITIF said. Today, more than 94% of broadband serviceable locations “have at least two providers to choose from, meaning these outdated regulations are no longer relevant and should be eliminated.” Any application of these outdated rules is “thus illogical and creates inconsistency across the market,” the group added.
In another filing, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a China watchdog group, said countering threats from that nation points to the importance of moving quickly to an all-IP system for voice communications. The FCC “should use its oversight and regulatory authorities to encourage carriers to adopt an all-IP interconnect system and comply with more stringent cybersecurity practices to safeguard U.S. national security.” The foundation also argued that the effectiveness of the Salt Typhoon attacks were in part “a reflection of poor cybersecurity standards within a complex and evolving industry.”