PRICING POLICY DIVISION

The Pricing Policy Division is responsible for administering the provisions of the Communications Act requiring that the charges, practices, classifications, and regulations of common carriers providing interstate and foreign services are just and reasonable. The Division develops competitive pricing policies and rules for the retail and wholesale interstate rates charged by price-cap carriers and rate-of-return carriers; the intercarrier compensation rates that carriers charge each other; and the rates for resale of local exchange services, unbundled network elements and interconnection that incumbent carriers charge competitive carriers. The Division also ensures compliance with Commission pricing rules and conducts formal or informal investigations of carrier charges, practices, classifications and regulations, and recommends appropriate action. The Division also develops rules and polices relating to the Uniform System of Accounts, affiliate transactions, regulated/non-regulated cost allocations, and depreciation rates. In conjunction with the Competition Policy Division, this Division reviews applications from Bell operating companies for authority to provide in-region interLATA services.

2/8/2012
Public Notice: Comment Sought On A Petition Filed By Eastex Telephone Cooperative, Inc. For Waiver Concerning The Commission's Part 36 Jurisdictional Separations Rules. (Dkt No 80-286 ). Comments Due: 03/09/2012. Reply Comments Due: 03/26/2012. [Word] [Acrobat]

2/6/2012
Order: Windstream Nebraska, Inc., Windstream Sugarland, Inc., Valore Communications Of Texas LP D.B.A Windstream Communications Southwest For Pricing Flexibility As Specified In Section 69.727 Of The Commission's Rules. Adopted a Protective Order in this proceeding. [Word] [Acrobat]

2/6/2012
Order: Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. Adopted a Protective Order in this proceeding. [Word] [Acrobat]

2/6/2012
Order: Pacific Bell Telephone Company. Adopted a Protective Order in this proceeding. [Word] [Acrobat]

2/6/2012
Public Notice: Pleading Cycle Established For Windstream Nebraska, Inc., Windstream Sugarland, Inc., ET. AL, Under Section 69.727 Of The Commission's Rules. Comments Due: 03/07/2012. Reply Comments Due: 03/27/2012 [Word] [Acrobat]

2/6/2012
Public Notice: Pleading Cycle Established For Southwestern Bell Telephone Company Petition For Pricing Flexibility Under Section 69.727 Of The Commission's Rules. Comments Due: 03/07/2012. Reply Comments Due: 03/27/2012 [Word] [Acrobat]

2/6/2012
Public Notice: Pleading Cycle Established For Pacific Bell Telephone Company Petition For Pricing Flexibility Under Section 69.727 Of The Commission's Rules. Comments Due: 03/07/2012. Reply Comments Due: 03/27/2012 [Word] [Acrobat]

1/30/2012
Order:Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc. Petition For Declaratory Ruling. Dismissed Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc.'s Motion For Stay. (Dkt No. 09-133 ). [Word] [Acrobat]

1/30/2012
Public Notice: Wireline Competition Bureau Seeks Comment On Centurylink Petition For Limited Waiver Of Call Signaling Rules. (Dkt No 10-90 01-92 10-208 96-45 05-337 07-135 03-109 09-51 ). Comments Due: 02/29/2012. Reply Comments Due: 03/15/2012. WCB . [Word] [Acrobat]

1/27/2012
Public Notice: Pleading Cycle Established For United States Telecom Association Petition For Waiver Of Requirements In Section 61.49(K) Of The Commission's Rules For The Short Form Tariff Review Plan. (DA No. 12-100). (Dkt No 12-22 ). Comments Due: 02/13/2012. Reply Comments Due: 02/23/2012. [Word] [Acrobat]

1/27/2012
Public Notice: NECA Files Annual Update Cost Allocation Manual Revision. Comments Due: 02/24/2012. Reply Comments Due: 03/12/2012. [Word] [Acrobat]

1/25/2012
Public Notice: National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc's. Proposed 2012 Modification Of Average Schedule Formulas. (Dkt No 11-204) Pleading Cycle Established. Comments Due: 02/14/2012. Reply Comments Due: 02/24/2012. [Word] [Acrobat]

1/10/2012
Public Notice: Wireline Competition Bureau Seeks Comment On AT&T Petition For Limited Waiver Of Call Signaling Rules. (DA No. 12-34). (Dkt No 10-90 01-92 10-208 96-45 05-337 07-135 03-109 09-51 ). Comments Due: 02/09/2012. Reply Comments Due: 02/24/2012. [Word] [Acrobat]

1/6/2012
Public Notice: Protested Tariff Transmittal Action Taken. [Word] [Acrobat]

11/14/2011
Public Notice: Instructions For Non-ILEC ETFS Initial Filings (Dkt No 10-141 ). [Word] [Acrobat]

Pricing Flexibility
In the Access Charge Reform Fifth Report and Order, the Commission established the parameters for granting flexibility in the pricing of interstate access services by incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) subject to price cap regulation. The pricing flexibility framework the Commission adopted in the Access Charge Reform Fifth Report and Order is designed to grant greater flexibility to price cap LECs as competition develops, while ensuring that: (1) price cap LECs do not use pricing flexibility to deter efficient entry or engage in exclusionary pricing behavior; and (2) price cap LECs do not increase rates to unreasonable levels for customers that lack competitive alternatives. In addition, the reforms were designed to facilitate the removal of services from price cap regulation as competition develops in the marketplace, without imposing undue administrative burdens on the Commission or the industry.

The Wireline Competition Bureau has released several orders granting petitions of price cap LECs seeking pricing flexibility in accordance with the rules adopted in the Access Charge Reform Fifth Report and Order.

CALLS MADE FROM PAYPHONES
Section 276 of the Act directs the Commission to take a number of actions to promote competition among payphone services and the widespread deployment of payphone services to the general public. The FCC has taken steps also to ensure fair compensation to payphone service providers for each and every call placed from payphones.

A payphone service provider is the person or entity who owns the payphone instrument, such as the local telephone company, an independent company, or the owner of the premises where the payphone is located. [Consumer Fact Sheet]