On a separate issue, the Federal Communications Commission failed to make a ruling on a system that the local phone companies complain amounts to giving Internet users and Internet access providers a free ride. The Bells currently connect users to their providers over local phone lines as if the call terminated there – but of course it doesn’t – and they receive no access charges for those calls. As a result, they say, Internet users tie up local lines with lengthy calls and no-one pays more than the cost of the local call. Instead of acting, the Commission, which is leaning towards rejecting the idea of access charges, issued a notice of inquiry that asks for comment on possible reform relating to interstate information services and the Internet. Comments are due by February 21.
