GTL Files for Emergency Relief from FCC's Last Minute 'Conjuring' of Intrastate ICS Rate Regulation

RESTON, Va., March 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Global Tel*Link (GTL) on Thursday sought emergency relief from the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., from enforcement of a Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) edict, issued just hours before new ICS rules were to take effect, requiring ICS providers to cap rates on intrastate ICS calls – an apparent contradiction of the partial stay issued by the court of appeals last week, which prevented the agency from implementing similar intrastate ICS rate caps.

"This appears to be an after-the-fact attempt at sleight of hand by the FCC, a manufacturing of jurisdiction over intrastate ICS rates that undermines the stay issued by the court of appeals," said GTL CEO Brian Oliver.  "This attempt by the FCC to conjure authority over intrastate ICS rates, to regulate by ambush by waiting to announce this 'interpretation' nine days after the court issued a stay of similar rules and just nine hours before the rules were supposed to take effect, tramples the concepts of openness and transparency that are at the core of the FCC's rulemaking obligations."

"GTL appreciates the FCC's frustration with the limits of its authority and we remain committed to seeking solutions for national ICS reform that respect the limits of the agency's jurisdiction while participating with state and local agencies who share responsibility for the safety, affordability, and availability of inmate communications," Oliver said.

CONTACT: Megan Humphreys, 202-234-1224, mhumphreys@mcbeestrategic.com

SOURCE Global Tel*Link