WHAT IS SPECIAL ACCESS?
Special access circuits are dedicated telecommunications circuits that link customers to carriers (wireline or wireless) and their facilities.
HOW IS SPECIAL ACCESS USED?
- A carrier that serves a university might use a special access circuit to connect the main campus to its off-campus law school.
- Wireless carriers use special access circuits to connect cell towers to the switching office.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
- The market for special access services is not competitive.
- Two of the largest incumbent providers control over 80% of the market for special access services nationwide.
- Based on flawed market analysis, the FCC largely deregulated the offering of special access services prematurely.
- This is supported by the GAO, which recently found that the FCC’s criteria for determining whether a market is competitive are not indicative of actual competitive market performance.
- The GAO also found that the FCC’s special access pricing flexibility has lead to higher rates.
- In 2002, competitors asked the FCC to reexamine their criteria for granting pricing flexibility. No action was taken until a rulemaking proceeding was opened by the FCC in 2005 to determine whether competition in the special access market is in fact sufficient to constrain the incumbent’s pricing of special access.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
- Ensure that the FCC will resolve the special access rulemaking in October, 2007.
- The FCC must also remove the impediments to the development of a competitive market by:
- setting a rate structure reflective of the incumbent’s market power and
- removing onerous and restrictive contract terms and conditions used by the Bell Companies until the special access market becomes competitive.
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Special Access Documents
Recent News
August 10, 2011
KDW Telecom Law Monitor: CompTel Asks Court to Compel Action on Special Access...
August 8, 2011
COMPTEL Supports Pac-West on Issue of Access Charges for VoIP-Initiated Toll-Free Traffic...
July 15, 2011
COMPTEL and Others file Petition for Writ of Mandamus Seeking FCC Action on Special Access...
August 31, 2010
COMPTEL Files Ex Parte Outlining Failure of Special Access Deregulation...
June 1, 2010
COMPTEL Urges FCC to Act on Special Access Rates...
February 24, 2010
COMPTEL Files Reply Comments on Regulatory Framework for Special Access...
January 19, 2010
COMPTEL Comments on Regulatory Framework for Special Access...
What is Special Access?
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