AT&T Backs FCC Plan for Easing International Reporting, Worried About Route Confidentiality
AT&T mostly welcomed an FCC plan to relax international reporting duties, voicing concern route confidentiality would be compromised. A draft order to scrap carrier annual traffic and revenue reports (and streamline circuit capacity reports) is on the agenda for the…
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Oct. 24 commissioners' meeting (see 1710030059). "These burdensome rules are no longer relevant in today’s highly competitive international market, and ... more targeted methods would still allow the Commission to obtain information" as needed, said a filing Tuesday in docket 17-55 on a meeting with Office of General Counsel and International Bureau officials, including Chief Tom Sullivan. AT&T said it treats U.S. international route information as confidential, and agreements with foreign carriers usually do, too. "Public disclosure of this information, as proposed by the Draft Rule, would allow the identification of the specific routes served by each U.S. carrier via indirect termination arrangements," undermining "least cost routing" that pressures "high foreign terminations rates," said the filing. CTIA lauded the FCC plan to jettison annual reports for mobile carriers, said a filing on meetings with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and three other commissioners. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon officials also attended.