Parties Oppose Securus Request for FCC To Stay New Inmate Calling Rate Caps
Inmate Calling Solutions and the Wright Petitioners opposed a Securus petition asking the FCC to stay its August order increasing inmate calling service rate caps to account for correctional facility costs without restricting ICS provider site-commission payments (see 1608250064). Securus…
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is wrong in its claim it's likely to prevail in court challenges to FCC orders, or that it would suffer irreparable harm in the meantime absent a new stay, ICSolutions and petitioners said in extensive filings (here and here) posted Thursday in docket 12-375. "The new ICS rates will fully compensate Securus for its costs associated with providing ICS," the Wright Petitioners wrote, calling the new caps "necessary to force Securus and other ICS providers to cease their new practice of raising intrastate rates to 'make them whole' in light of the cap on ancillary ICS fees that went into effect on June 20." ICSolutions disputed that Securus would suffer irreparable harm just because the order didn't go its way. "Because Securus is charging rates as high as $19.41 for a 15-minute call for some of their intrastate calls, Securus may very well lose revenue" under the order, ICSolutions said. But the FCC's intent was to stop such unjustly high calling rates, ICSolutions said, and Securus can still earn a reasonable profit under the law. Telmate this week also asked the FCC for a stay (see 1608310042).