A unanimous vote, ICPs make their mark> Georgia Public Service Commission Supports Competition; Rules in Favor of Competitive Local Carriers
December 3, 1998
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE) Calls to ISPs Ruled
Local Telephone Traffic; Bell South Ordered
to Pay Reciprocal Compensation for Termination of
Local Calls to ISPs
In another victory for competitive local
exchange carriers and Internet users, the
Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC)
ruled that consumer calls to Internet service
providers (ISPs) are local calls and,
therefore, subject to reciprocal compensation
by Bell South, the incumbent local exchange
carrier (ILEC).
In an unanimous vote, the commission's
decision -- the 24th consecutive state
commission -- officially adopted the staff
recommendation that local calls to ISPs are
indeed local traffic and subject to reciprocal
compensation under current interconnection
contracts with competitive local exchange
carriers.
"Time and again, the incumbent monopolies
try to stall competition by refusing to honor
their interconnection agreements," said Cindy
Schonhaut, executive vice president for
government and corporate affairs for ICG. "
This ruling aligns the Georgia commission with
23 other state regulatory bodies and affirms
that even the anti-competitive monopolies
must live up to the contracts they sign."
ICG Netcom is a new breed of
telecommunications company, known as an
integrated communications provider (ICP),
offering customers one-stop voice and data
solutions, including local, long distance,
high-speed Internet and data products and
services, as well as innovative technologies
such as Internet Protocol (IP) telephony and
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL).
About ICG Netcom
ICG Netcom is the brand name for products
and services from ICG Communications Inc.
(Nasdaq:ICGX) and ICG's subsidiary, NETCOM
On-Line Communication Services Inc. The
combined entity is a leading integrated
communications provider (ICP) offering
high-quality telecommunications services.
With headquarters in Englewood, Colo., ICG
has extensive switched fiber-optic networks
and offers local, long distance and enhanced
telephony and data services in California,
Colorado, the Ohio Valley and parts of the
southeastern United States. The company
provides Internet communication solutions,
connectivity and Web site hosting to
individuals and to small-and medium-sized
businesses through its subsidiary, NETCOM
On-Line Communication Services Inc. which
is located on the Web at
netcom.com. ICG also is a
leading designer and installer of copper, fiber
and wireless infrastructure for buildings and
campuses. Further information is available on
ICG's Web site located at
icgcomm.com.
CONTACT: ICG Netcom | Media Contact |
Lance Thomas, 303/414-5411 |
lance_thomas@icgcomm.com | or | Investor
Contact | Steve Smith, 303/414-5350 |
investor_relations@icgcomm.com
[Copyright 1998, Business Wire] |
