The Intercarrier and the Universal Service Fund will have to explain further as the US Federal Communications Commission decides seek further comments on the proposed controversial changes to be implemented by the two programs.
Kevin Martin, the Chairman of FCC pushed for the changes in the programs. However, the other four commissioners did not agree to move ahead with the changes and decided on Wednesday to seek further clarifications.
In the month of July, the FCC was asked for an explanation by the District of Columbia’s US Court of Appeals regarding the reason why the intercarrier’s voice traffic which is internet based was exempted from compensation rules. These rules stipulate the amount to be paid by the telecom carriers for mutually using networks.
A lot of small time carriers and lawmakers in the US pressurized the FCC to analyze the issue in detail saying that they must be subject to a public debate, even as Martin on Tuesday tried to schedule a vote for the proposed change in the programs.
Martin was not happy with the decision and he said the commission was committing a mistake by putting off the action. He went on to say that a comprehensive reform for the Universal service and Intercarrier was still not in a position to move forward even after years of deliberation.
Big time telecom carriers like AT&T and Verizon have opined that there should be a flat fee rate for carrying or terminating voice traffic instead of complicating matters by giving the small carriers the option to increase their rates for carrying traffic from competitors.
