WHEREAS, Traffic Pumping (Access Stimulation) is defined as the artificial stimulation of switched access traffic as a result of revenue sharing or “kick-back” arrangements partnering with third parties such as free calling service companies offering “free” conference calls, adult and pornographic chat, and international calling;

WHEREAS, these LECs collect switched access revenues from long distance carriers and share them via secret contracts with the free calling service companies;

WHEREAS, Traffic Pumping is a significant and continuing problem within the Telecommunications industry;

WHEREAS, the FCC has amassed a large record on traffic pumping activities in its Traffic Pumping Notice of Proposed Rule Making and has issued rules as part of the Transformation Order;

WHEREAS, the FCC stated in the National Broadband Plan that the traffic pumping business model should be curtailed in order to maintain the integrity of the intercarrier compensation regime;

THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, that ALEC encourages the FCC to continue to act act expeditiously to resolve traffic pumping issues; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ALEC encourages state commissions also to resolve traffic pumping issues and encourages state legislatures to ensure that current statutes do not enable or promote traffic pumping practices.

Approved by ALEC Board of Directors on January 7, 2011.

Reapproved, as amended, by the Communications and Technology Task Force on December 4, 2015