The FCC has released a public notice seeking comment on a petition for declaratory ruling filed by Verizon asking the Commission to confirm that if a local exchange carrier (LEC) delivers a call to a two-stage dialing platform, including an Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled platform, the LEC does not perform terminating switched access functions and cannot charge tariffed end office terminating switched access charges for that call. According to Verizon’s petition, two-stage dialing platforms “consist of equipment that allows end-user customers to complete a call by first dialing a long distance number to reach the calling platform and then dialing a second (typically international) telephone number to reach the called party.” Verizon asked the FCC to confirm that a LEC “cannot assess tariffed end office terminating switched access charges on calls delivered to any two-stage dialing platform,” including IP-enabled platforms, where “the LEC does not terminate the call to the called party and therefore does not perform – and cannot bill for – end office switched access.” Comments are due Monday, August 20, 2018 and reply comments are due Wednesday, December 5, 2018.
