WASHINGTON-William Kennard, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, last
week urged state regulators to get involved in the upcoming proceeding on calling party pays.
“We need your
input on this,” said Kennard at the Winter Meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners.
CPP is similar to long-distance toll calling where the person placing the call to a wireless
subscriber pays for the call rather than the wireless subscriber. CPP is the norm in Europe, while American carriers
have traditionally required the subscriber to pay all charges related to mobile phone usage. The Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association petitioned the FCC to allow for nationwide CPP, claiming it would increase
competition and wireless phone use. There are several trial programs underway.
It is unclear whether Kennard was
urging the state regulators to become involved in the CPP process before or after the FCC releases a notice of proposed
rule making later this year.
The calling-party-pays NPRM is expected to address issues that state regulators often
deal with, including consumer notification and billing.
