FCC Grants MIEAC Petition Ahead of Wednesday Meeting

The FCC has unanimously approved an order and declaratory ruling granting the Minnesota Independent Equal Access Corporation’s (MIEAC) petition for relief from dominant carrier regulation for its provision of centralized equal access (CEA) service, according to an order and deletion notice released Tuesday. The item had been set for the agency’s open meeting Wednesday. “In light of declining demand, intervening exchange access service regulatory reforms, and technological changes in the voice services marketplace,” dominant carrier regulation of MIEAC’s CEA service “is no longer necessary to serve the public interest,” the order said. The item grants MIEAC’s petition on the condition that it comply with non-dominant carrier regulations going forward. In the petition for relief, MIEAC said it was unable to raise prices above competitive levels due to reduced market demand, thus reducing the need for the greater consumer protections of dominant carrier regulation. The order reclassifies MIEAC as a non-dominant carrier for its CEA service, subjecting it to the tariff and pricing requirements for such carriers. MIEAC will also fall under streamlined transfer of control and service discontinuance procedures, the order said.