Wisconsin Republicans Rep. Mark Honadel and Sen. Rich Zipperer circulated...

mandate on payment of intrastate access charges on VoIP. The effort of updating the state telecom law has Gov. Scott Walker’s support, Honadel told us. The governor’s office couldn’t be reached immediately for comment, but Walker suggested during his campaign he’s open to new telecom legislation. The draft bill seeks to reduce the state telecom regulators’ authority over telecom utilities, imposes requirements on certain intrastate switched access rates, and eliminates mandatory tariffs except for intrastate switched access service. It also specifies the Public Service Commission’s authority over interconnected VoIP and seeks to change requirements for the use of another person’s transmission equipment and property by public utilities and telecom providers. The bill is about creating a level playing field between incumbent and competitive carriers, said Bill Esbeck, head of the Wisconsin State Telecom Association (WSTA). CenturyLink supports the proposed bill because it offers “the best opportunity to achieve meaningful regulatory reform in Wisconsin,” a spokesman said. The bill would mandate the payment of intrastate switched access charges on VoIP traffic, creating “a new and costly assessment,” said Glenn Richards, head of the VON Coalition. That would mean higher rates for VoIP users in the state, he said. Only the FCC can establish rules for intercarrier compensation for VoIP traffic and it’s doing just that right now with its intercarrier compensation and universal service fund proceeding, he said. He urged adopting a bill that would prohibit state regulation of IP-enabled services. Two federal courts confirmed tariffed access charges don’t apply to VoIP, he said. Honadel said he’s aware of the VON Coalition’s concerns and hopes the issue will be raised at the public hearings so legislators can hear from all parties what they believe will be the bill’s impact on VoIP. Another coalition, including AT&T, Wisconsin Cable Communications Association, WSTA and TDS Telecom, disagreed with the VON group, saying the proposed intrastate access provision would not result in any new assessment or new fees for current VoIP customers. The proposed bill, which provides for “significant deregulation of interconnected VoIP” in the state, “merely codifies the current practices” whereby all providers that currently offer interconnected VoIP both pay and charge intrastate access, the group said, noting AT&T, a VON Coalition member, already pays intrastate access in the state for its interconnected VoIP U-verse voice service. Additionally, recent state commission and court decisions have identified the appropriateness of applying intrastate access payments to interconnected VoIP, it said, citing the Iowa Utilities Board’s order that concluded Sprint must pay amounts owed to Iowa Telecom, in compliance with Iowa Telecom’s switched access tariff. The coalition agrees that federal action will likely preempt any state statutes regarding interconnected VoIP. But until the FCC makes a definitive statement on interconnected VoIP, Wisconsin should maintain the current practices of VoIP payment, the group said.