FCC Chief Urges Mexico to Cut Phone Fees

The nation’s top telephone regulator asked Mexico to cut inflated fees that U.S. phone companies must pay Mexican carriers to complete calls there. Federal Communications Commission Chairman William E. Kennard’s comments come as U.S. telephone companies and others are complaining that Mexican regulators unfairly favor Telefonos de Mexico, known as Telmex, the former state telephone monopoly. “I am deeply committed to achieving significant annual reductions in inflated settlement rates on the U.S.-Mexico route,” Kennard said in a statement. Kennard also wants Telmex to kill a 58% surcharge it imposes on new long-distance competitors in Mexico to route calls over its network.