{"id":1604,"date":"2021-08-09T14:01:54","date_gmt":"2021-08-09T19:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.convergedsystems.com\/blog\/?p=1604"},"modified":"2021-08-09T14:01:54","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T19:01:54","slug":"fcc-announces-end-date-for-ds0-ds1-ds3-loop-maintenance-requirements-heres-what-that-means-for-businesses-that-rely-on-traditional-pri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.convergedsystems.com\/blog\/fcc-announces-end-date-for-ds0-ds1-ds3-loop-maintenance-requirements-heres-what-that-means-for-businesses-that-rely-on-traditional-pri\/","title":{"rendered":"FCC Announces End Date for DS0, DS1, DS3 Loop Maintenance Requirements: Here\u2019s What That Means for Businesses That Rely on Traditional PRI"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Local exchange carriers (LECs) will no longer be obligated to maintain DS0, DS1 and DS3 loops in the near future, according to a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Report and Order<\/a>. If your company currently relies on traditional PRI, here\u2019s what you should know about these changes in regulations and what the modified FCC rules mean for your business.<\/p>\n

Why did the FCC issue this Report and Order?<\/h2>\n

The Report and Order updates the unbundling and resales requirements specified in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (a.k.a., the 1996 Act). When that law was enacted, LECs dominated local telephone service markets. Congress intended to break up monopolies with the 1996 Act by mandating that LECs extend unbundled network elements (UNEs) to competitors in addition to reselling telecom services at a discount, according to the FCC.<\/p>\n

Over the years, however, the landscape of the fixed voice marketplace has transformed and now includes not only LECs but also over-the-top VoIP suppliers, cable companies offering VoIP services, and wireless providers. The enterprise market now features high levels of competition. On top of that, in the realm of enterprise services, many carriers are swapping out last-mile copper for new technologies like fiber and fixed wireless.<\/p>\n

In light of these dramatic changes in the communications market, the FCC decided to modernize unbundling obligations in areas where evidence proves these requirements are no longer needed to facilitate the entry of \u201cefficient competitors\u201d into the marketplace, as the Report and Order states. The FCC has also noted that permanent unbundling obligations can discourage the development of next-gen networks. Along with eliminating the unbundling rules in circumstances where they aren\u2019t necessary for adequate competition, the FCC is also allowing carriers to stop maintaining traditional technologies such as DS0, DS1 and DS3 loops.<\/p>\n

How long do carriers need to maintain DS0, DS1 and DS3 loops?<\/h2>\n

The Small Entity Compliance Guide<\/a> for the FCC Report and Order (WC Docket No. 19-308) states the following concerning maintenance requirements for UNEs.<\/p>\n