Dial-up Internet connections often require larger phone companies to transfer the connections to smaller competitors who contract with ISPs. In a non-Internet context, the original carrier of a phone call is required to pay the second carrier for use of its facilities.

A federal appeals court on Tuesday has given the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 4 months to explain its rule governing how phone companies are compensated when people use dial-up Internet connections. If the FCC does not comply with that deadline, the rule will be invalidated, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said.

Read full story: Network World

Related topics: Access Providers, Broadband, Policy & Regulation, Telecom