CLECs, ILECs still at odds over hot cuts

Incumbent and competitive carriers squared off on the issue of hot cuts this week during a forum on the FCC’s Triennial Review order sponsored by the Wisconsin Public Utility Institute, which is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dave Chorzempa, senior regulatory attorney for AT&T Wisconsin said the current manual process used by incumbents to transition a customer to a competitor precludes CLECs from effectively serving the mass market. "You can’t provide service to everybody on a cut-by-cut basis," Chorzempa said.

He contrasted the process to the electronic loop provisioning (ELP) process used in the long-distance sector, which he said is considerably faster and more efficient. "Not only would you eliminate the manual hot cut, because the loop would be provisioned electronically, you also would eliminate all of the coordination between the ILEC and CLEC."

But ELP represents a significant upgrade that would be cost prohibitive, especially in a capital-constrained market such as the one in which all carriers operate today, said Paul LaSchiazza, president of SBC Wisconsin. He reminded that the current system was developed with CLECs more than two years ago, "under the watchful eye" of state commissions throughout the Midwest.

However, LaSchiazza acknowledged that the FCC linked impairment in part to the issue of hot cuts. "We want to collaborate with CLECs moving ahead to improve an already effective process," he said.

Commissioner Ave Bie said the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin staff currently is working to determine whether a batch hot cut process is needed, and where it should be deployed. Comments are due this month, and the commission expects to hold a hearing on the subject in March 2004.