Common Carrier Bureau Announces REVISED Agenda for a Forum Addressing Combinations of Unbundled Network Elements

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fcclogo PUBLIC NOTICE

Federal Communications Commission
1919 - M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554 News media information 202 / 418-0500
Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
ftp.fcc.gov

DA 98-1016
May 28, 1998

COMMON CARRIER BUREAU ANNOUNCES REVISED AGENDA
FOR A FORUM ADDRESSING
COMBINATIONS OF UNBUNDLED NETWORK ELEMENTS

This Public Notice includes a revised agenda and additional information on the Common Carrier Bureau's Combinations of Unbundled Network Elements Forum. The attached revised agenda replaces the agenda released by the Common Carrier Bureau on May 15, 1998. The Common Carrier Bureau will post any further revisions on the Commission's website at www.fcc.gov.

Date: Thursday, June 4, 1998

Location: Commission Meeting Room
Federal Communications Commission
1919 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20554

Time: 9:30am - 3:45pm

The Common Carrier Bureau will host a public forum to discuss possible methods by which the Bell operating companies (BOCs) may satisfy the section 271 requirement that they provide nondiscriminatory access to unbundled network elements in a manner that allows competing carriers to combine such elements.
Various members of the telecommunications industry have proposed methods by which competing carriers can combine network elements, including physical and virtual collocation, direct access to the BOC's network, electronic methods of combining network elements, and BOC provision of combined network elements for a separate charge. This Forum will permit representatives from different segments of the telecommunications industry to address the legal, technical, and economic issues with respect to each of the proposed methods.
Interested parties are invited to submit questions for discussion at the Forum. Questions should be faxed to the Common Carrier Bureau at (202) 418-1413, no later than Friday, May 29, 1998.
The Forum is open to the public, and seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. The Forum will also be carried live on the Internet. Internet users may listen to the real-time audio feed of the Forum by accessing the FCC Internet Audio Broadcast Home Page. Step-by- step instructions on how to listen to the audio broadcast, as well as information regarding the equipment and software needed, are available on the FCC Internet Audio Broadcast Home Page at www.fcc.gov/realaudio/.
A transcript of the Forum will be available 10 days after the event on the FCC's Internet Home Page at www.fcc.gov. A transcript will also be available in CC Docket Nos. 97-121, 97-137, 97-208, 97-231 for inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC's Reference Center, Room 239, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20554. Transcripts may be obtained from the FCC's duplicating contractor, International Transcription Service, 1231 20th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036, by calling ITS at (202) 857-3800 or faxing ITS at (202) 857- 3805. Audio and video tapes of the Forum may be purchased from Infocus, 341 Victory Drive, Herndon, VA 20170, by calling Infocus at (703) 834-0100 or by faxing Infocus at (703) 834-0111.

- FCC -
For additional information contact: Jordan Goldstein, Jake Jennings, or Katherine Schroder at (202) 418-1580.

COMMON CARRIER BUREAU FORUM:
COMBINATIONS OF UNBUNDLED NETWORK ELEMENTS
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1998
AGENDA

9:30 - 9:35 Introductory Remarks

9:35 - 10:00 Panel One: The Importance of Combinations of Network Elements

A brief presentation by members of the industry with respect to whether and how they intend to use combinations of network elements as an entry strategy.
A discussion of whether combinations of network elements facilitate the development of competition in the local market.
Panelists:
Keith Townsend, Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs and Senior Counsel,
United States Telephone Association
Judith Levine, Executive Director, Mass Markets Local Marketing,
MCI Telecommunications Corp.
Gerry Salemme, Senior Vice President, External Affairs and Industry Relations,
NEXTLINK Communications, Inc.,
on behalf of the Association for Local Telecommunications Services

10:00 - 10:50 Panel Two: A Technical Overview of Methods for Combining Network Elements

A review of the various forms of collocation.
A brief presentation on the development and availability of electronic methods for combining network elements.
Panelists:
Jeff Owens, Executive Director, Regulatory Strategy, U S West, Inc.
Bryan Kennedy, Vice President Client Services, CON-X Corp.
Robert V. Falcone, Division Manager, AT&T Local Services Division
Frank Lauria, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, COMMTECH Corp.

10:50 - 11:00 Break

11:00 - 12:15 Panel Three: Collocation -- Legal, Economic, and Technical Issues

Is collocation the only method for combining network elements authorized by the statute?
How does a BOC demonstrate that its collocation offering satisfies the statute's nondiscrimination requirement and provides competitors with a meaningful opportunity to compete?
Is collocation consistent with the Eighth Circuit's holding that a competing provider may provide service entirely through the use of unbundled network elements (i.e., what equipment must a competing provider supply in order to use combinations of network elements)?
Panelists:
Dan Poole, Director of Network Planning and Engineering, Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.
John Lenahan, Assistant General Counsel, Ameritech Corp.
Rocky N. Unruh, Morgenstein & Jubelirer, Counsel for LCI International Telecom Corp.
Gary Ball, Vice President of Regulatory Policy, WorldCom, Inc.

12:15 - 1:30 Break for Lunch

1:30 - 3:00 Panel Four: Other Methods (e.g., Direct Access, Electronic Methods, Combinations Provided by the BOC for a Separate Charge) -- Legal, Economic, and Technical Issues

Which of these methods are technically feasible?
If one or more of these methods are technically feasible, what is the BOC obligated to provide to satisfy checklist item (ii) in light of the Commission's rule in section 51.321 that an incumbent LEC must provide any technically feasible method of obtaining access to unbundled network elements?
Does the Eighth Circuit's decision require physical separation of network elements?
What are the network reliability and security concerns associated with direct access and electronic methods?
Do methods other than collocation (e.g., direct access, electronic combination of elements) constitute an unauthorized taking under the Fifth Amendment?
How do these other methods satisfy the statute's nondiscrimination requirement and provide competitors with a meaningful opportunity to compete?
Panelists:
Len Cali, General Attorney, Law and Public Policy, AT&T Corp.
Joseph Gillan, Telecommunications Consultant, on behalf of Competitive Telecommunications Association
Donald C. Davis, Assistant Vice President, Industry Policy, Intermedia Communications, Inc.
William N. Stacy, Assistant Vice President, Services for Interconnection Operations Department, BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc.
Michael Glover, Assistant General Counsel, Bell Atlantic Corp.

3:00 - 3:15 Break

3:15 - 3:45 Panel Five: The State Perspective

How are states ensuring that incumbent LECs provide CLECs access to unbundled network elements in a manner that allows them to be combined?
Are states imposing any requirements pursuant to state law?
Panelists:
Brad Ramsay, Assistant General Counsel, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
William J. Celio, Director, Communications Division, Michigan Public Service Commission
Peggy Rubino, Senior Valuation Engineer, New York State Department of Public Service

9:30 - 9:35	Introductory Remarks
9:35 - 10:00	Panel One: The Importance of Combinations of Network Elements A brief presentation by members of the industry with respect to whether and how they intend to use combinations of network elements as an entry strategy. A discussion of whether combinations of network elements facilitate the development of competition in the local market. Panelists: Keith Townsend, Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs and Senior Counsel, United States Telephone Association Judith Levine, Executive Director, Mass Markets Local Marketing, MCI Telecommunications Corp. Gerry Salemme, Senior Vice President, External Affairs and Industry Relations, NEXTLINK Communications, Inc., on behalf of the Association for Local Telecommunications Services
10:00 - 10:50	Panel Two: A Technical Overview of Methods for Combining Network Elements A review of the various forms of collocation. A brief presentation on the development and availability of electronic methods for combining network elements. Panelists: Jeff Owens, Executive Director, Regulatory Strategy, U S West, Inc. Bryan Kennedy, Vice President Client Services, CON-X Corp. Robert V. Falcone, Division Manager, AT&T Local Services Division Frank Lauria, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, COMMTECH Corp.
10:50 - 11:00	Break
11:00 - 12:15	Panel Three: Collocation -- Legal, Economic, and Technical Issues Is collocation the only method for combining network elements authorized by the statute? How does a BOC demonstrate that its collocation offering satisfies the statute's nondiscrimination requirement and provides competitors with a meaningful opportunity to compete? Is collocation consistent with the Eighth Circuit's holding that a competing provider may provide service entirely through the use of unbundled network elements (i.e., what equipment must a competing provider supply in order to use combinations of network elements)? Panelists: Dan Poole, Director of Network Planning and Engineering, Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. John Lenahan, Assistant General Counsel, Ameritech Corp. Rocky N. Unruh, Morgenstein & Jubelirer, Counsel for LCI International Telecom Corp. Gary Ball, Vice President of Regulatory Policy, WorldCom, Inc.
12:15 - 1:30	Break for Lunch
1:30 - 3:00	*Panel Four: Other Methods (e.g., Direct Access, Electronic Methods, Combinations Provided by the BOC for a Separate Charge) -- Legal, Economic, and Technical Issues* Which of these methods are technically feasible? If one or more of these methods are technically feasible, what is the BOC obligated to provide to satisfy checklist item (ii) in light of the Commission's rule in section 51.321 that an incumbent LEC must provide any technically feasible method of obtaining access to unbundled network elements? Does the Eighth Circuit's decision require physical separation of network elements? What are the network reliability and security concerns associated with direct access and electronic methods? Do methods other than collocation (e.g., direct access, electronic combination of elements) constitute an unauthorized taking under the Fifth Amendment? How do these other methods satisfy the statute's nondiscrimination requirement and provide competitors with a meaningful opportunity to compete? Panelists: Len Cali, General Attorney, Law and Public Policy, AT&T Corp. Joseph Gillan, Telecommunications Consultant, on behalf of Competitive Telecommunications Association Donald C. Davis, Assistant Vice President, Industry Policy, Intermedia Communications, Inc. William N. Stacy, Assistant Vice President, Services for Interconnection Operations Department, BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. Michael Glover, Assistant General Counsel, Bell Atlantic Corp.
3:00 - 3:15	Break
3:15 - 3:45	Panel Five: The State Perspective How are states ensuring that incumbent LECs provide CLECs access to unbundled network elements in a manner that allows them to be combined? Are states imposing any requirements pursuant to state law? Panelists: Brad Ramsay, Assistant General Counsel, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners William J. Celio, Director, Communications Division, Michigan Public Service Commission Peggy Rubino, Senior Valuation Engineer, New York State Department of Public Service