INCOMPAS NEWS -- November 7, 2016

Now is the time to start planning for 2017, either by renewing your INCOMPAS membership or learning more about the many benefits available when your company joins.

Over the past year, INCOMPAS has experienced solid membership growth, adding more than 20 new members representing domestic and international network and service provider companies, companies that offer content and streaming services as well as device manufacturers. With a broad-reaching constituency, INCOMPAS is well positioned to represent the entire ecosystem - from the network builders, to storage, device and content providers - with a continuing commitment to supporting an open and competitive industry.

INCOMPAS members receive numerous benefits - from exclusive networking opportunities to discounts on exhibition and registration fees at our annual conventions. In 2017, we will be hosting the INCOMPAS Show in New Orleans (April 3-5) and San Francisco (October 15-18).

If you are a member, your primary contact should have received details about renewing your membership last week. If you're not yet a member, please email Julia Strow or call 202-296-6650.

INCOMPAS to Host Competitors' Reception on November 12

INCOMPAS invites you to the Competitors' Reception on Saturday, November 12, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Fiesta 12 room at the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, Calif.

Sponsors of the event include CompSouth, CoreTel, Granite Telecommunications, Level 3, MACC - Midwest Association of Competitive Communications, Sonic, T-Mobile and Windstream.

The event will take place prior to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Annual Committee Meetings, November 13-16. Please note that the Competitors' Reception is not sponsored by NARUC, nor is it a part of the meeting agenda.

FCC Sets Deadlines for
AT&T Forbearance Request

The Federal Communications Commission last week established a pleading cycle for comments related to AT&T's petition for forbearance from certain tariffing rules. Comments and oppositions are due on December 2, and reply comments on December 19.

AT&T filed its petition on September 30, requesting that the FCC forbear "from the tariffing requirements of the Act and its rules as to all tandem switching and tandem-switched transport charges on all traffic to or from [incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs)] engaged in access stimulation."

The petition also asks that the Commission forbear from enforcing "all of its rules that allow LECs to tariff a charge billed to [interexchange carriers (IXCs)] for toll-free database queries" and urges the Commission to "promptly issue new rules to address the remaining inefficiencies and arbitrage activities in its hybrid intercarrier compensation system."