California Public Utilities Commission Rules in Favor of Competitive Carriers in Dispute with Pacific Bell.ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 22, 1998-- In 3-2 Vote, CPUC CPUC California Public Utilities Commission CPUC Current Procurement Unit Cost Says ISP Calls are Locally Terminated and Subject to Reciprocal Compensation In another victory for competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) and Internet users, the California Public Utilities Commission The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC; also often commonly referred to as simply the PUC) [1] is a state Public Utilities Commission which regulates privately-owned utilities in the state of California, including electric power, (CPUC) ruled that Pacific Bell, the incumbent local exchange carrier ILEC, short for incumbent local exchange carrier, is a local telephone company in the United States that was in existence at the time of the break up of AT&T into the Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) also known as the "Baby Bells". (ILEC (Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier) A traditional local telephone company such as one of the Regional Bell companies (RBOCs). Contrast with CLEC. See ELEC and TELRIC. ) in California, must pay CLECs, including ICG ICG indocyanine green. Netcom, for the termination of local calls to Internet Service Providers, upholding current interconnection agreements. By ruling that calls to ISPs are local telephone traffic and subject to commission jurisdiction, the CPUC becomes the 22nd consecutive state commission to order the ILECs to honor interconnection contracts signed with competitive local exchange carriers like ICG Netcom. To date, no state commission has ruled that ISP traffic is not local. "As a result of this policy decision, the commissioners have clearly and boldly stated that competition in California is important and will thrive," said Cindy Schonhaut, senior vice president for government and external affairs for ICG. "Reciprocal compensation was negotiated by Pac Bell in many of its interconnection agreements with CLECs. These agreements were approved by the CPUC and the commission has now reasserted its authority over these decisions." ICG Netcom is a new breed of telecommunications company, known as an integrated communications provider (ICP (1) (Internet Cache Protocol) A protocol used by one proxy server to query another for a cached Web page without having to go to the Internet to retrieve it. See CARP and proxy server. ), offering customers one-stop voice and data solutions, including local, long distance, high-speed Internet and data products and services, as well as innovative technologies such as Internet Protocol (IP) telephony and Digital Subscriber Line See DSL. (communications, protocol) Digital Subscriber Line - (DSL, or Digital Subscriber Loop, xDSL - see below) A family of digital telecommunications protocols designed to allow high speed data communication over the existing copper telephone lines between end-users and (DSL). About ICG Netcom ICG Netcom is the brand name for products and services from ICG Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on : ICGX) and ICG's subsidiary, NETCOM On-Line Communication Services, Inc. The combined entity is a leading integrated communications provider (ICP) offering high-quality telecommunications services. Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., ICG has extensive switched fiber-optic networks and offers local, long distance and enhanced telephony and data services in California, Colorado, the Ohio Valley and parts of the southeastern United States. The company provides Internet communication solutions, connectivity and web site hosting to individuals and to small- and medium-sized businesses through its subsidiary, NETCOM On-Line Communication Services, Inc., which is located on the Web at http://www.netcom.com. ICG also is a leading designer and installer of copper, fiber and wireless infrastructure for buildings and campuses. Further information is available on ICG's web site located at http://www.icgcomm.com |
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