FCC Regulations: Evaluating the Missoula Plan
Robin Dumas
University of Redlands
INFT 610: LEGAL, POLICY, AND ETHICAL ISSUES FOR TECHNOLOGY
Brian H. Kurbjeweit, JD
October 16, 2007
Evaluating the Missoula Plan
With the continually evolving infrastructure of our communications environment, attention needs to be paid to reforming the associated regulations and bringing them up to date with the technologies now in use. At one time America’s telephony infrastructure was a simple narrow-band environment. Today it has evolved into an infrastructure relying on broadband connectivity to the internet, cell phones, and satellites. While this transition provides the promise of economic growth and consumer benefits, the reformation of the regulations has proved a daunting task. The evolution of our electronic communications stands in the balance, for without reform America’s telecommunications providers could find they lack adequate resources to maintain their existing infrastructure, and even less prepared to provide new broadband networks to their customers, especially in rural areas (Rural-Alliance.org 2006).
Even though the Communications Act of 1934 was amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, problems still remain with the existing regulations. So, hundreds of telecommunications industry participants—holding widely divergent interests—joined together to propose a plan for intercarrier compensation reform. This plan is known as the Missoula Plan.
Background on ‘The Missoula Plan’
On July 24, 2006 the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Task Force filed the Missoula Plan with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC allowed comments to be ...