In its decision Wednesday, the commission found that Verizon delayed for four months interconnecting with Core in the Washington metropolitan area. It also found that Verizon failed to provide Core with critical information about the delay and its expected duration.
The delay occurred because Verizon allowed the capacity of certain crucial pieces of equipment within its network to exhaust and to remain that way for an extended period, the FCC said.
The commission ruled that Verizon had violated the terms of its agreement with Core by failing to provide Core with interconnection "on rates, terms, and conditions that are just [and] reasonable in accordance with the terms and conditions of [its interconnection] agreement."
Under commission rules, Core may now file a supplemental complaint against Verizon for damages resulting from Verizon's violation.
In the ruling, the commission rejected Verizon's argument that any violation of its interconnection agreement with Core would not constitute a violation of the Communications Act.
Neither Verizon Maryland or Core Communications returned calls placed after regular work hours.
Copyright 2003. Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
