TDM-to-IP Transition: Does Copper Deterioration Equal Copper Retirement?

The Federal Communications Commission is seeking input on whether it should require telecommunications service providers retiring traditional copper phone wiring to provide and monitor batteries providing backup power to customer premises equipment. Additionally the commission is considering whether a service provider that lets its copper infrastructure deteriorate should be considered to have retired that equipment. These are just a few of the ideas discussed in a notice of proposed rulemaking about the TDM-to-IP transition adopted by the FCC on November 21. As usual, the NPRM includes some requirements that the FCC indicates it anticipates imposing, while other ideas are simply put forth for discussion.