Since the enactment of the 1996 Federal Telecommunications Act, the attorneys at Field Law Group (“FLG”) have assisted competitive local telephone and telecommunications companies negotiate and arbitrate interconnection agreements (“ICAs”) with dominant incumbent carriers. For example:

• In 2000, Mr. Field negotiated and arbitrated an interconnection agreement between Coast to Coast Telecommunications and Ameritech Michigan. Mr. Field prevailed on all arbitrated issues. The Michigan Public Service Commission (“MPSC”) Order can be viewed at :

  http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/mpsc/orders/comm/2000/u-12382.pdf

  The Coast to Coast ICA became one of the most frequently adopted ICAs by CLECs operating in Ameritech territories.

• In 2003, Mr. Witte and Mr. Field negotiated and arbitrated a comprehensive ICA between Verizon North and TelNet Worldwide, Inc. The docket filings and MPSC Orders issued in the case can be viewed at:

  http://efile.mpsc.state.mi.us/efile/viewcase.php?casenum=13931&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

  The arbitration notably produced the first arbitrated comprehensive ICA for Verizon North’s Michigan territories. In addition, the ICA included several negotiated rates that were lower than rates Verizon otherwise offered in Michigan. For example, the rate for a DS1 circuit was approximately two-thirds lower than otherwise available.

  Verizon appealed two issues it had lost before the MPSC to the U. S. District Court. In its appeal, Verizon North was represented by law firms from Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. Field Law Group prevailed on both issues. The District Court’s Order can be viewed at:

  https://ecf.miwd.uscourts.gov/doc1/0991861186

  For years, the TelNet ICA remained the only arbitrated ICA in Michigan that CLECs providing service in Verizon North territory could adopt.

• From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Field engaged in an extended negotiation between Climax Telephone Company and SBC Michigan. The docket filings and MPSC Orders issued in the case can be viewed at:

  http://efile.mpsc.state.mi.us/efile/viewcase.php?casenum=14229&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

• In 2009, Mr. Field and Mr. Jiang represented a coalition of seven CLECs to renegotiate and arbitrate the TelNet/Verizon ICA that had been approved in 2005 in MPSC Case No. U-13931. With added improvements, this arbitration extended the favorable ICA that had resulted from the previous case. See:

  http://efile.mpsc.state.mi.us/efile/docs/15773/0028.pdf

• In 2010, Field Law Group assisted TC3 Telecom negotiate ICAs with four rural independent ILECs, Deerfield Farmers Telephone Company (MPSC Case No. U-16471), Sand Creek Telephone Company (MPSC Case No. U-16497), Ogden Telephone Company (MPSC Case No. U-16470); and Frontier-Michigan (MPSC Case No. U-16783).

• Also in 2010, Mr. Field and Mr. Gensch commenced ICA negotiations with AT&T Michigan on behalf of a coalition of ten CLECs. The arbitration petition was filed on October 24, 2011, and can be viewed at:

  http://efile.mpsc.state.mi.us/efile/docs/16906/0001.pdf

The MPSC is scheduled to issue its Order no later than February 16, 2012.