chip@chinacat.lonestar.org (Chip Rosenthal) (03/19/90)
The following message was posted by William Degnan <William.Degnan
@f39.n382.z1.fidonet.org> to alt.cosuard.
The rumour that the FCC was going to start BBS charges was pretty
soundly debunked in Telecom as very old news resurfacing. Here is a
pretty definitive answer that might be worth socking away for the next
time this comes up...
--- start of forwarded message ---
* Original to All @ 1:0/0 in MDF
* Forwarded Tue Mar 13 1990 00:05:06 by William Degnan @ 1:382/39
Just as the FCC has finally gotten around to responding to my Letter
of Nov. 6, 1989 and my follow-up letter of Dec 15, 1989 -- I'm just
getting around to entering their reply here.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Common Carrier Bureau
Enforcement Division
Informal Complaints and Public Inquiries Branch
Suite 6202
Washington, D.C. 20554
Feb. 23, 1990
In Reply Refer To:
63203
IC-90-00924
William S. Degnan
Principal Consultant
Communications Network Solutions
P.O. Box 9530
Austin, Texas 78766-9530
Dear Mr. Degnan:
Chairman Sikes asked this office to respond to your correspondence
expressing concern about the rumor of Commission licensing requirement
for computer bulletin board systems (BBS). It appears that you may be
referring to the Commission's 1987 proposal to eliminate the exemption
from interstate access charges currently permitted for enhanced
service providers.
As background, in its June 10, 1987 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, CC
Docket No. 87-215, the Commission invited comment from interested
members of the public on the issue of the access charge exemption for
enhanced service providers. The Commission requested information on
the types of services offered uner the enhanced service exemption, the
configuration of those services, and the effect upon them in
discontinuing the exemption. Our objective in this proceeding was to
establish a set of rules that would permit the recovery of the costs
of exchange access in a fair, reasonable and efficient manner from all
users of access service, regardless of their designation as carrier,
enhanced service provider or private customer.
After analyzing and carefully considering the voluminous record filed
in response to its proposal, the Commission released an Order on April
27, 1988, to terminate this proceeding. The record indicated that the
enhanced services industry in in a unique period of rapid and
substantial change because of a number of complex and interrelated
factors. Enclosed is informational material concerning this matter.
Thank you for your interest in this matter.
Sincerely,
/signed/
Sue Earlewine
Carrier Analyst
Informal Complaints and Public
Inquiries Branch
Enforcement Division
Common Carrier Bureau
Enclosures
--- end of forwarded message ---
Chip Rosenthal | Yes, you're a happy man and you're
chip@chinacat.Lonestar.ORG | a lucky man, but are you a smart
Unicom Systems Development, 512-482-8260 | man? -David Bromberg