USTelecom, which represents major telco ISPs, was rooting on FCC chair Ajit Pai's business data services (BDS) proposal, which deregulates rates for incumbent providers like USTelecom members AT&T and Verizon where there is competition.
Pai has said he thinks that comprises a lot of places. But the association was pushing even further, saying the item could have been even more deregulatory.
Pai has scheduled a vote on his proposal for April 20.
USTelecom execs, including group president, Jonathan Spalter, told Paiin an April 10 meeting that the proposal to "reduce" the FCC's "price setting role" was "relatively constrained," and pointed to the benefits of more broad price relief, including a finding that incumbent telecoms are no longer de facto dominant, according to an ex parte filing on the meeting.
USTelecom argued that the FCC data on BDS understates the current level of competition and that its competitive market test -- for price deregulation -- may be too conservative.
Critics of the BDS proposal argue that it is overestimating the competition and have called on the FCC to release the data on which markets meet the test or delay the vote.
