April 2003
The ATS Network & Billing Update is published by Advanced Technologies & Services, Inc. (www.atso.com), a revenue and service assurance solutions provider. This free newsletter is an electronic monthly guide to telecommunications OSS, billing, and revenue assurance news and analysis, and is distributed by subscription only. To subscribe, click on the "Sign Up" link at left. To unsubscribe, contribute an article, or for offbeat news, please scroll to the end. Feel free to forward this newsletter!
In this issue:
FCC Expected to Enforce Wireless Local Number Portability Deadline
Update: U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Local Phone Service Case
FCC Commissioner Comments on Challenges Faced by Rural Carriers
In this age of failed corporate mergers, we’ve become accustomed to post-merger announcements of write-downs – that miserable term used to quantify just how little goodwill, synergy, and operational efficiencies actually came from the merger of two companies. [More] [Top of Page]
FCC Expected to Enforce Wireless Local Number Portability Deadline
The U.S. Federal
Communications Commission is expected to enforce a November 24 deadline by
which wireless operators must implement number portability - enabling
customers to keep their cell phone numbers when they change service
providers. Source: Reuters
-- Yukari Iwatani
[More]
[Top of Page]
U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Local Phone Service Case
As a follow-up to last month's article on the controversial FCC UNE-P, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would not hear a case brought by AT&T and WorldCom challenging rules governing competition in the local phone service market. Last May, a federal appeals court ordered the Federal Communications Commission to revise the network access rules, saying that the local phone companies, such as Verizon Communications and BellSouth, should not have to lease to competitors at discounted rates all elements of their networks in all markets. The FCC issued new rules on Feb. 20. The U.S. Supreme Court said that the new rules made hearing the AT&T/WorldCom case unnecessary. [Top of Page]
AT&T Sues Sprint Over Phone Numbers
AT&T filed a lawsuit in the US District Court in Manhattan alleging that Sprint, One Call Communications, and ASC Telecom were stealing toll-free calls. Dow Jones Business News reported that AT&T believes the three competitors are purchasing toll-free numbers similar to 1-800 Call ATT as part of what is called a fat-finger dialing scheme. When customers accidentally misdial AT&T's toll-free number, they will be placing calls using one of the similar numbers purchased by one of the three defendants, which charge much more than AT&T, according to the company. The lawsuit is asking for the court to suspend such numbers as 1-800 CAAL ATT. [Top of Page]
FCC Commissioner Comments on Challenges Faced by Rural Carriers
Federal
Communications Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein
warned state regulators to consider carefully whether a competitor is
eligible for universal service support in rural areas and implied that he
hasn’t been pleased with past decisions.
OffBeat News: Phone Company Sends Bill to Dead Man
A local cemetery received a phone bill last week for David Towles at his correct address -- Hillside Cemetery, Evergreen Section, Auburn, Mass. 01501. (Source: AP) [More] [Top of Page]
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