United States Government Accountability Office
Published: 2017-09-13
Total Pages: 82
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Government agencies and businesses that require significant capacity to meet voice and data needs depend on dedicated access services. This segment of the telecommunications market generated about $16 billion in revenues for the major incumbent telecommunications firms in 2005. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has historically regulated dedicated access prices. With the Telecommunications Act of 1996, FCC reformed its rules to rely on competition to bring about cost-based pricing. Starting in 2001, FCC granted pricing flexibility on the basis of a proxy measure of competition. GAO examined (1) the extent that alternatives are available in areas where FCC granted pricing flexibility, (2) how prices have changed since the granting of pricing flexibility, and the effect on government agencies, and (3) how FCC monitors competition. GAO's work included analyzing data on competitive alternatives, list prices, and average revenue, and interviewing FCC officials and industry representatives.