WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 1, 2025 – INCOMPAS, the internet and competitive networks association, filed comprehensive comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the agency to adopt a balanced approach to network modernization that eliminates unnecessary regulatory burdens while preserving essential protections for competition and public safety.
The following statement can be attributed to Christopher L. Shipley, Executive Director of Public Policy at INCOMPAS:
“INCOMPAS strongly supports modernizing America’s communications infrastructure, but this transition cannot come at the expense of consumers or public safety. We must ensure that competitive providers and their customers have viable alternatives as incumbent carriers transition from legacy networks.
While INCOMPAS supports eliminating unnecessary discontinuance requirements for resellers when their wholesale provider has already discontinued a legacy service and removing customer notice requirements for grandfathered services, the association strongly opposes eliminating interconnection protections without a clear IP interconnection framework that ensures copper retirement only proceeds where viable wholesale replacements exist.
Incumbent carriers control approximately 92% of switched access lines nationwide, making them the only viable wholesale source in most locations. Competitive carriers face roadblocks transitioning to IP while being forced to rely on legacy facilities for critical services like 911. Costs for legacy interconnection are skyrocketing, and competitors still have difficulty gaining access to modern alternatives. The technology for IP interconnection exists, what’s missing is regulatory certainty. Accelerating the transition must not be used as a pretext to eliminate competition.”
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