Year-long talks aimed at working out an agreement on access charges through the Intercarrier Compensation Forum (ICF) have collapsed for now, with the formal departure Wed. of several key members -- including BellSouth, which initiated discussions with AT&T last year. Many of the discussions had been at BellSouth’s Washington office.

Even if it’s VoIP, telecom is “an essential public service” and local govts. will want to make sure reliable service is available to the public, said Marilyn Showalter, chmn. of the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission. NATOA Pres. Coralie Wilson said govts. “simply cannot let technical standards lapse” just because of VoIP: “We need assurance the network will continue to operate.” Speaking on the same local govt. panel here, Neb. PSC Comr. Anne Boyle said “consumer protection goes beyond CALEA and E911.” She said VoIP providers need to comply with best practices, as well as with good customer service, and consumers are “who the government is there to protect.” At a later panel of FCC bureau chiefs, Wilson raised the question of mandating technical standards for new telecom services. He got little response, other than from Robert Pepper, FCC chief of policy development. Pepper indicated only that the Network Reliability & Interoperability Council would deal with such issues, and that the diversification of telecom into wireless and IP-based services increases diversity of the overall network. Local govt. officials spent much of their time talking about how to assure Universal Service Fund (USF) funding with the arrival of new technologies. Cal. PUC Comr. Susan Kennedy endorsed a per-number USF fee. Showalter agreed that’s probably “pretty reasonable,” though she said in the long term telephone numbers won’t be needed. Fla. PSC Comr. Charles Davidson, however, said USF “needs a business plan… It shouldn’t be a program that just expands and becomes a new tax.” Showalter suggested broadband will be necessary in the future and if people can’t afford it “government must assure that it gets there.” Kennedy, however, said Internet and video services “clearly” don’t qualify for USF. -- MF

A variety of consumer groups launched a campaign Thurs. to work for retention of the revenue-based Universal Service Fund (USF) collection system. The Keep Universal Service Fair Coalition, made up of senior, disability, consumer, minority and rural organizations, said moving to a flat, connections-based system would harm consumers and low-volume users. Connections-based systems would collect money through a subscriber line or per-user fee, which would mean low- volume users would “pay the same amount in USF fees as high- volume users.” The coalition includes 12 organizations such as the Alliance for Public Technology, Alliance for Retired Americans, American Assn. of People with Disabilities, Black Leadership Forum, Gray Panthers.

Giving VoIP a “new voice in Washington and in states,” several VoIP providers led by the VON Coalition officially announced a group to encourage a public policy that refrains from applying traditional telecom regulation to Internet voice communications. The group, called The Voice Over Internet Coalition, includes AT&T, Callipso, Convedia, iBasis, Intel, Intrado, ITXC, MCI, PointOne and Texas Instruments. The group, which has unofficially operated a few weeks (CD Dec 10 p4), announced new members and expanded principles Mon.

Congress isn’t expected to pass comprehensive legislation on communications issues this session, many sources said, but that doesn’t mean lawmakers won’t be busy in the communications realm. Most sources provided a laundry list of issues that would get at least some attention from lawmakers who return today (Tues.) for the 2nd session of the 108th Congress. While no large-scale bills are expected, Congress could pass legislation this year to restrict broadcast ownership, fund enhanced 911 (E911) and spectrum relocation, and renew the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (SHVIA). But there’s likely to be a lot of talk on the Hill about communications issues, as VoIP, universal service fund (USF), broadcast decency and cable rates.

A federal telecom regulator and state PUC representatives clashed over whether a separate regulatory regime should be created for VoIP. In an audio conference Thurs. sponsored by Communications Daily parent company Warren Communications News, Jeffrey Carlisle of the FCC VoIP working group said a minimum regulatory environment for the service wouldn’t necessarily amount to separate treatment for VoIP, which NARUC Gen. Counsel Brad Ramsay said might be illegal. Ramsay had questioned whether VoIP operators should get lighter regulatory treatment than CLECs. Peter Pitsch, of Intel and pres. of the Voice On the Net (VON) Coalition,, said regulation of VoIP could be light if regulators resolved other issues such as access charges and universal service (USF.)

Rural telecom companies are uniquely positioned to provide wireless services in the vast majority of rural areas, parties said in comments filed with the FCC. They urged the Commission to adopt rules and policies that would provide opportunities for rural telephone companies and eliminate outmoded barriers to deployment of wireless broadband service. The comments came in response to a rulemaking the Commission began in Sept. (CD Sept 11 p6) asking how to promote spectrum-based services in rural areas.

More than 10 voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) providers led by the Voice on the Net (VON) Coalition are getting together to create an unprecedented group to encourage a public policy that refrains from applying traditional telecom regulation to Internet voice communications. The ad hoc coalition, expected to be announced formally before the end of the year, will try to form voluntary agreements on some key common carrier obligations, such as universal service, E911, disability access and law enforcement monitoring of VoIP calls. “These legitimate concerns can be addressed without imposing heavy regulation on VoIP and… if they are addressed successfully the political pressure to regulate VoIP will dissipate,” said VON Coalition Chmn. Tom Evslin, who represents the ad hoc group.

FCC Chmn. Powell gave early indications of his thinking about a regulatory regime for Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) Mon., saying he saw consensus that the service might be deemed “interstate” in nature and that concerns about VoIP were focused on 4 or 5 discrete issues. His comments to reporters came after an FCC forum on VoIP that featured industry leaders, state public utility commissioners and others.

A USTA plan to get high-tech suppliers to support a deregulatory lobbying campaign may be an antitrust violation, 26 competitive telecom companies plus ALTS and CompTel said in a letter sent Fri. to key congressional committees. USTA invited top executives of high-tech companies to a closed dinner Oct. 20 in Washington to discuss a possible lobbying alliance and seek funding from the suppliers. One Bell official later characterized the plan as a natural move, given that high-tech suppliers had tended to support Bells’ deregulatory campaigns.