Federal Court Again Halts FCC Plan To Regulate Intrastate ICS Rates

RESTON, Va., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thursday, for the second time in less than three weeks, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C granted a request by Global Tel*Link to delay implementation of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rate caps on intrastate Inmate Calling Services (ICS), refusing to allow the FCC to regulate intrastate rates until the court has fully resolved the issue of the FCC's jurisdiction to impose limits on state and local authorities who currently oversee the regulation, security and affordability of those services.

The Court of Appeals panel granted an emergency request from GTL, who late last week challenged the FCC's interpretation that a Court of Appeals stay on intrastate rate caps issued earlier this month had left unaffected certain definitional changes, which provided the agency the ability to regulate local ICS rates.  The court issued its rejection of the agency's "connect the dots" interpretation just hours after GTL submitted its final brief to the court.

"GTL will continue to work towards national ICS reform, but the goals of affordability, security and availability can only be resolved in a way that respects the substantial role of state and local policy makers in that process," said CEO Brian Oliver.  "The court's decision underscores that view.

"As I have said many times, there is no one size fits all solution and the marketplace must solve the issue by working with individual communities to bring low rates to inmates.  GTL will continue our work with facility partners to design solutions that allow our customers and their communities to bring affordable phone service to inmates in a way that is best for them."

CONTACT: Megan Humphreys, 202-2341224, [email protected]

SOURCE Global Tel*Link