WASHINGTON-Continuing its crackdown on companies that it says are delinquent in paying universal-service and other regulatory fees, the Federal Communications Commission proposed $1.5 million in fines against two companies that resell long-distance service.
The FCC wants to fine OCMC Inc. nearly $1.2 million. The agency has proposed a $280,000 fine against Telecom Management Inc., which does business under the name Pioneer Telephone.
The companies have 30 days to pay the fines or appeal.
“Apparent violations like these distort the marketplace by causing carriers in compliance with the requirements to carry a disproportionate share of the costs of funding these programs and frustrate the purposes for which Congress and the FCC established the programs,” said the commission.
A wireless reseller, InPhonic Inc., was fined more than $819,000 in July. The FCC said it was proposing the fine against InPhonic because it believes InPhonic had not registered as a telecommunications carrier and thus had not made necessary payments for universal service, regulatory fees and telecom relay service. The universal service fund is losing money as more people use wireless services in place of wired telephony.
