US Lawmakers Tell FCC To Collect Data On Phone Network Prices

(7/15) Former House Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski asking the agency to collect data, before passing new rules, on how some phone companies pay to connect to central voice and Internet arteries. The request is a signal to the FCC to act carefully if it further regulates the complex pricing regime. Public interest groups and companies such as Sprint, T-Mobile USA, and U.S. Cellular are rallying for more regulation, saying phone giants including AT&T and Verizon Communications dominate the market and drive prices up.