CLECs Ask FCC To Act On Line-Sharing Ruling

Communications Today, June 11, 2002

A coalition of competitive telecom service providers has asked the Federal Communications Commission to seek a stay of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeal's decision last month ordering the commission to vacate its line-sharing order. Don't be surprised if the group's request fall on deaf ears at the commission.

The Competition Working Group, which includes sometimes foes the Association For Local Telecommunications Services (ALTS) and the Competitive Telecommunications Association (CompTel), told the commission that ILECs could interpret the court's decision as requiring incumbents to provide all network elements except line-sharing while the commission completes its Triennial Review proceeding.

In a joint letter to FCC Chairman Michael Powell this past week, the group said that a stay of the decision "is the most efficient means of preventing disruption in the broadband sector."

It's likely that the FCC will not seek a stay, and will instead address the line-sharing issue in its current Triennial Unbundled Network Element (UNE) Review proceeding. Even then, it's unlikely that the commission's response to the court decision will be music to the ears of the CLEC community.