Greg Galitzine's VoIP Authority Blog

I recently received my copy of the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) Global Telecommunications Index, that company’s analysis of the global telecom sector during 2003 and 2004. This report follows on the heels of a Deloitte’s recent report: TMT Trends: Predictions 2005, which I discussed with Deloitte’s Philip Asmundson, who was recently promoted to national managing partner of that company’s � U.S. Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) industry practice.� � 

The Index is part of DTT’s ongoing research and analysis, and the findings are drawn from objective data and performance metrics as well as expert analysis by DTT’s member firms’ team of telecommunications practitioners.

The report finds that from January 2003 to December 2004, the market value of the worldwide telecommunications industry increased by 28 percent, an improvement over the period covered in DTT’s previous report (January 2000–July 2003), which saw the telecom market drop by 69 percent.

Internet Telephony magazine Regulation Watch columnist John Cimko served for fifteen years at the FCC, and currently practices law at Greenberg Traurig LLP in Washington, D.C.

The Level 3 forbearance petition puts the FCC in a bind. Granting the petition would take a key issue off the table in the pending intercarrier compensation rulemaking. But denying the petition, depending on how it’s done, would expose VoIP providers to access charges before the FCC decides how its new unified compensation regime will work and what rules will cover VoIP providers.

Here are three reasons why the FCC is likely to deal with the petition in a way that preserves the status quo until the FCC adopts compensation mechanisms for all carriers, including VoIP providers, in the pending rulemaking.

First, keeping the status quo avoids tying the FCC’s hands in the rulemaking.

Level 3 filed a forbearance petition with the Federal Communications Commission asking the agency to reaffirm that legacy switched access charges do not apply to VoIP. The petition was filed on January 6, 2004. A press release from Level 3 offers up the details.� 

Well, the FCC is bound to rule on the petition by next Tuesday, March 22, 2005. Our own David Sims reported on industry buzz that the FCC was set to rule against the petition rather than let the March 22 deadline pass, but in short order, the FCC would then also order a rule change exempting VoIP service providers from access charges.� 

Unless the FCC gets called in to rule on whether or not Mark McGwire�  and the rest of his (ALLEGED) steroid using colleagues deserve a place in Cooperstown, it’s a safe bet that this issue will be resolved one way or the other very soon.� � 

In keeping with my recent history of using my blog as a resource for gathering together comments form some of the leading minds of the industry (humbly, mine excluded) I have asked a number of people to respond with their thoughts on what may or may not happen, what they think of this whole scenario, and so on.� 

First up today is William Wilhelm, Internet Telephony magazine Regulation Watch columnist, and Partner in the firm of Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman, LLP.

Maybe I’ve been living in a cave, because it seems everyone I’ve spoken to today has already heard of this, but I was somewhat surprised by the fact that there is a place in America, where people have yet to make a phone call.� 

Well, somewhere other than Pearl River, NY.� 

I received a media alert today, basically telling me that Centennial Communications was going to provide Shaw Louisiana with that town’s first-ever phone service.� 

Foster Campbell, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner will use Centennial's newly constructed cell towers to call Steve Largent, President of the CTIA — the international association for wireless communications.�  While to some degree this can be viewed a sstunt to draw attention to that organization’s annual trade show, it’s still amazing to me that there are places in this country where you could not make or receive phone calls.

The event will take place this coming Monday March 14, at 9:00 am CST, and approximately 40 seconds later, residents of Shaw, Louisiana will likely seek to add all their numbers to the National Do Not Call registry.� 

Shaw is a rural town in Louisiana that has never had any type of telephone service. � With the leadership of Commissioner Foster Campbell of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and the efforts of Centennial Communications Corp., the local wireless telecommunications carrier, the residents of Shaw, Louisiana will now have access to modern and reliable telecommunications services. � The availability of support from the federal Universal Service Fund ("USF") enabled the construction of two wireless towers in Shaw area, making possible the provision of telecommunications services to the community.

Yesterday Rich Tehrani blogged about the recent Vonage outage.

Well for everyone who thinks this type of thing only happens to customers who choose VoIP providers,� I was unable to reach my family on the phone today too. Thing is, my provider is Verizon, and this is my landline we're talking about. Estimated time until Verizon can send someone out to check things out?