FCC is seeking comment on 2 petitions on how intercarrier compens...

that wireless termination tariffs weren’t proper mechanism for creating reciprocal compensation arrangements for transport and termination of traffic. Carriers sought declaratory ruling, telling FCC that commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) carrier usually interconnected indirectly with rural ILEC by exchanging traffic through intermediate carrier. Those indirectly interconnecting carriers typically exchanged traffic under bill-and-keep arrangements, not interconnection pacts, for mobile-to-land traffic, carriers said. Those arrangements were called into question recently when some rural LECs filed state tariffs to collect reciprocal compensation for termination of certain traffic originated by CMRS operators. Wireless carriers argued that compensation for traffic only should be paid when LEC and CMRS carrier had reached interconnection agreement under Sec. 251 of Communications Act. Otherwise, they said, such traffic should fall under bill-and-keep arrangements. Wireless carriers want FCC either to direct ILECs to withdrawn existing wireless termination tariffs or to declare them unlawful and void. Second petition on which FCC sought comment was filed by US LEC in Sept. seeking declaratory ruling for FCC to reaffirm LECs were entitled to recover access charges from IXCs for provision of access service on interexchange calls originating from or terminating on wireless networks. US LEC told FCC that industry practice was for IXCs to pay access charges to LECs for such traffic but that recently one IXC (not named in filing) had declined to pay charges.