ICS Rate Cuts, Robocalls on FCC May 20 Agenda

Inmate calling services rates would be cut, video relay service compensation rates extended through the end of 2021, extensions for providers to implement caller ID authentication requirements could be shortened, and smaller providers would receive regulatory relief if all items on the tentative agenda for the FCC's May 20 meeting are approved (see 2104280073). Drafts are expected to be released Thursday, said a spokesperson.

The FCC will vote on a report and order and Further NPRM, the spokesperson said. It's on cutting ICS rates for interstate calls 33%-42%, blogged FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Wednesday. "Despite evidence that regular contact with family can reduce recidivism, the 2.3 million people in U.S. jails and prisons and their loved ones often have to pay egregiously high rates to talk on the phone," Rosenworcel said. Commissioners would consider limiting international rates for the first time.

The new rates would be 12 cents per minute for prisons, 14 cents per minute for jails with at least 1,000 incarcerated people, and up to 2 cents per minute "where site commission payments result from negotiated contractual obligations between providers and correctional officials," said the FCC spokesperson. Site commissions are an issue that public advocates and service providers have increasingly clashed over in recent months (see 2101190071). The last time ICS rates were cut was in August, when commissioners voted to limit ancillary service charges (see 2008060053). Interstate calls were capped at 21 cents per minute for debit or prepaid calls and 25 cents for collect calls. ICS providers didn't comment.

The FCC would get tougher than some expected on robocalls, forcing smaller carriers to comply with secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) and signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) rules before the current deadline. The agency requires most large voice providers to implement Stir/Shaken by June but gave smaller providers a two-year extension, Rosenworcel said: “Faced with new evidence that an increasing quantity of illegal robocalls are originating with a subset of small voice providers, I’ve circulated a proposal to shorten this extension for some companies who are likely to be the source of illegal robocalls.” The Stir/Shaken FNPRM would shorten the deadline by one year, the agency spokesperson said.

In an order released Oct. 1, the FCC noted the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (Traced) Act (see 1912310028) requires the June deadline but allows some flexibility. Commissioners approved a two-year extension for “small, including small rural, voice service providers.” The FCC also granted a one-year extension for “services scheduled for section 214 discontinuance” and an extension “for the parts of a voice service provider’s network that rely on technology that cannot initiate, maintain, and terminate” session initiation protocol calls “until a solution for such calls is reasonably available.” Cable and phone associations declined to comment or didn't comment.

Other items on the tentative agenda include extending the current video relay services rates through 2021 and an order clarifying policies for when providers receiving model-based and rate-of-return universal service support want to combine. Usually, the commission applies its “mixed support” merger condition to "prevent gaming of the system," but in some cases, it "doesn’t make sense and can even get in the way of providing broadband service in rural areas," Rosenworcel said. FCC members would also consider two enforcement measures.