FCC Proposes Reforms to Toll Free Calling Access Charge Regime

The Federal Communications Commission is seeking comment on reforms to increase efficiency and fairness in the system governing intercarrier payments for toll free calling, and to eliminate the financial incentive for abusive calling practices, including fraudulent or otherwise unnecessary robocalling to toll free numbers. The FCC is seeking comment on transitioning the toll free intercarrier compensation system to a “bill-and-keep” regime. Under bill-and-keep, each carrier recovers revenues from its own subscribers rather than other carriers. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted by the FCC proposes a three-year transition to bill-and-keep. The Notice also seeks comment on how such a change would affect consumers, and on concerns that the reforms could discourage legitimate toll free calls.