WASHINGTON-The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association last week sent letters to the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration urging that wireless carriers be given eligible telecommunications carrier status. Carriers must obtain ETC status before they can receive universal-service support.
Both letters tell the saga of Western Wireless Corp.’s wireless local loop offering in Regent, N.D. After Western Wireless turned on its WLL service in January, the incumbent local exchange carrier-Consolidated Telephone Cooperative-cut off Western’s service. The service later was restored, and now Consolidated is offering its customers a package similar to Western’s service. CTIA President Thomas Wheeler says this is evidence that “Competition works!” in his letters to FCC Chairman William Kennard and Gregory L. Rohde, assistant secretary for communications and information for the Department of Commerce. Rohde also administers NTIA.
In another development, Western last week received ETC status for the non-rural parts of North Dakota. This follows on the heels of a ruling by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, which granted Western statewide ETC status.
