Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
302 West Washington
Street, Room 306
Indianapolis Indiana 46204
317.232.2297 office
317.233.1982 fax
October
16, 2002
AMERITECH INDIANA
Today,
in Cause No. 41657, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved a forward-
looking process, which establishes quality assurances to competitors who use
Ameritech’s networks to provide phone service.
The
goal is to be sure the company provides competitors with the same quality of
service that it gives itself.
·
The remedy plan sets the specific requirements that Ameritech Indiana
will use to measure the quality of service it provides competitors.
·
It establishes a reporting method to provide the IURC with the
information, and to handle disputes between the competitors and Ameritech
Indiana.
·
A provision of the plan requires Ameritech to meet at least every six
months with representatives from competitive carriers and the IURC staff to
determine if the performance standards need to be modified.
·
It includes a plan to compensate competitors, and the state, should
Ameritech not meet its service quality obligations.
·
It sets standards to assure the
accuracy and integrity of Ameritech’s performance results, payment amounts and
data as well as minimum requirements for future audits.
·
The Indiana Performance Assurance and Remedy Plan can be terminated only
at the discretion of the IURC.
Before
any Regional Operating Bell Company (RBOC) is allowed to provide long distance
it must prove that it meets the requirements established by the
Telecommunications Act of 1996. Under
that act, incumbent carriers are required to provide resale, unbundled network
elements and interconnection services to competitors in a nondiscriminatory
manner.
Although
the remedy plan is not a requirement of the 14 point check list that Ameritech
must meet to be allowed into long distance, the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) has not allowed a company to compete in the long distance
market without one.
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