WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 21, 2025 – INCOMPAS, the competitive communications and AI infrastructure association, filed comments yesterday to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on accelerating the transition of communications networks to all Internet Protocol (IP) technology and completing the technology transition.
“INCOMPAS members are at the forefront of deploying IP technology and depend on reliable, nondiscriminatory interconnection and access to incumbent facilities to deliver voice services, enterprise connectivity and public safety communications. The transition away from time-division multiplexing (TDM) to IP-based networks presents a significant opportunity to modernize the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure, while also improving network resiliency and enhancing public safety communications. This transition will only be successful if the FCC adopts an enforceable framework for IP interconnection that covers numbered voice services in order to strengthen competition, and enable the Commission’s broader public interest goals, including the delivery of public safety traffic,” said Christopher L. Shipley, Executive Director of Public Policy at INCOMPAS.
“The threats posed by premature forbearance of interconnection and collocation are real and immediate: 911 service disruptions, continued obstacles to STIR/SHAKEN call authentication and the delays in implementing enhanced call presentation solutions. INCOMPAS urges the Commission to proceed cautiously with forbearance proposals to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place before eliminating longstanding competitive protections. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Commission to ensure that the IP transition delivers on its promise of improved service, greater efficiency and continued innovation for the benefit of all Americans,” Shipley concluded.
###
