Windstream Seeks FCC Access Charge Waiver To Offet Losses From Halo Scheme
Windstream asked the FCC for a waiver to collect a little more money as it reduces transitional intrastate access service rates under a commission order. "Specifically, the Windstream ILECs request a waiver of the relevant portions of Section 51.915(c) and…
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(d) insofar as such requirements would prevent the Windstream ILECs from including in their Intrastate Access Reduction calculations uncollectible intrastate access charges billed to Halo Wireless, Inc. (‘Halo’) during Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 (October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011) that were not collected by March 31, 2012," the telco said in a petition posted in FCC dockets 10-90 and 01-92 Wednesday. Windstream said the FCC in 2011 ordered many access charges to be driven down to zero over time under a bill-and-keep regime. It also said the FCC was "all too familiar with the sordid details of Halo's operations and their effect" on LECs. "As the Commission recently described, 'Record evidence outlines an access charge avoidance scheme whereby Halo attempted to disguise traffic otherwise subject to access charges as traffic subject to reciprocal compensation under the intraMTA rule,'" Windstream said. "The Windstream ILECs were among Halo’s victims, terminating millions of interstate and intrastate switched access minutes that Halo disguised as subject to reciprocal compensation rather than switched access charges." Windstream filed various claims on Halo before and after the latter went into Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Windstream noted the FCC had already issued a waiver to TDS similar to the one it's seeking. To offset its losses, Windstream said it's seeking to collect an extra $2.05 million in Connect America Fund intercarrier compensation support for the time period 2012-2015.