WTA and NTCA Support Petition to Allow Certain RLECs to Elect Price-Cap Regulation for BDS Services

On July 6, WTA and NTCA expressed support for a Petition submitted to the FCC by ITTA and USTelecom to permit ILECs that have elected to receive high-cost federal USF support via model-based distribution mechanisms – either RLECs electing the ACAM or certain price cap-affiliated carriers receiving CAF support – to opt into price cap regulation of their special access services that currently remain subject to rate-of-return regulation. WTA and NTCA support the request to commence a rulemaking to consider the adoption of a defined path to permit these RLECs to elect price cap regulation of their special access services, also known as “Business Data Services.”