New IP Networks Must Offer Equivalent of Legacy Special Access and Rates, FCC Says

Former incumbent telcos have regulatory burdens not faced by other contestants in their markets. One example: The Federal Communications Commission has imposed new rules on former incumbents that want to replace their legacy networks with new IP networks.

Specifically, the FCC said former incumbents are free to replace legacy copper networks with fiber-based  IP networks, so long as no current service is discontinued, reduced, or impaired.

At least on an interim basis, the Commission also voted to require the offering of replacement services to competitive providers (wholesale customers) at rates, terms and conditions that are reasonably comparable to those of the legacy services.

The FCC is looking at special access rules more generally in a current proceeding, and could make such rules permanent, or establish other rules offering former incumbent carriers more flexibility.

The special access rules matter for wholesale customers as their business models often are built on special access rates that are perceived as advantageous by the buyers. Infrastructure providers, of course, would prefer the freedom to create new tariffs for IP-based fiber network services, while retiring the legacy networks and services.

Incumbent carriers still need approval from the FCC before shutting off copper networks in cases where they intend to reduce or discontinue service.

One new rule requires providers to directly notify retail customers—including consumers and businesses—of plans to retire copper networks at least three months in advance," the FCC said.
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H Sama Nwana, Executive Director, Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, United Kingdom; Jeffrey Yan, Director, Technology Policy, Microsoft Corporation, Singapore; Rajan Mathews, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India, India; Peter Stanforth, CTO and Co-founder, Spectrum Bridge, Inc., USA; and Apurva Mody, Chairman, WhiteSpace Alliance, USA, will speak about TV white spaces at the Spectrum Futures conference, Sept. 10 and 11, 2015, in Singapore.

Other confirmed speakers will discuss spectrum sharing between LTE operators, spectrum sharing between Wi-Fi and LTE, new access platforms and the critical role spectrum plays for coming 5G networks. At the same time, the intimate relationship between applications (Internet of Things), core networks (SDN. NFV, cloud computing, fog computing) and all access networks will be examined. In the coming next generation network, clearly separating spectrum and mobile networks from Wi-Fi and fixed network access, core networks and cloud infrastructure, will be nearly impossible.