NRRI Study Finds Fault in FCC’s ‘Special Access’ Methodology (Joint Release - CCIA & Comptel)
1/23/2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI) today released a
study on “special access,” which refers to dedicated, high-capacity telecommunications circuits
that connect customers to carriers. The report was commissioned by the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). The following is a joint statement by COMPTEL and
the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA):
“As did the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the NRRI study has found fault in the FCC's
method for determining the existence of competition in the special access market. The FCC
should heed NRRI's recommendation ‘to reset the special access rates of AT&T, Qwest, and
Verizon,’ considering, as NRRI suggests, the reestablishment of price caps for special access
services sold by these three carriers and the anticompetitive effect of some terms and conditions
imposed by these carriers.”
MEDIA CONTACTS
COMPTEL: Margaret Boles, (202)296-6650, mboles@comptel.org
CCIA: Heather Greenfield, (202) 783-0070, hgreenfield@ccianet.org
About COMPTEL
Based in Washington, D.C., COMPTEL is the leading industry association representing competitive communications
service providers and their supplier partners. COMPTEL members are entrepreneurial companies driving technological
innovation and creating economic growth through competitive voice, video, and data offerings and the development and
deployment of next-generation, IP-based networks and services. COMPTEL advances its members’ interests through
trade shows, networking, education, and policy advocacy before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and
the courts. COMPTEL works to ensure that competitive communications providers can continue to offer lower prices,
better service, and greater innovation to consumers. For more information, visit www.comptel.org.
About CCIA
CCIA is an international, nonprofit association of computer and communications industry firms, representing a broad cross
section of the industry. CCIA is dedicated to preserving full, fair and open competition throughout our industry. Our
members employ more than 600,000 workers and generate annual revenues in excess of $200 billion. For more
information, visit www.ccianet.org.
