[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 66 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3407-S3408]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. STEVENS (for himself, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Smith, Mr. Dorgan, 
        Mr. Thune, Mr. Pryor, and Ms. Snowe):
  S. 2919. A bill to promote the accurate transmission of network 
traffic identification information; to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation.

[[Page S3408]]

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, to help end the growing problem of 
phantom traffic, today I introduce the ``Signaling Modernization Act of 
2008.'' Senators Inouye, Smith, Dorgan, Thune, Pryor, and Snowe 
cosponsored this bill. Phantom traffic is a phone call sent over the 
telephone network without the identifying information carriers use to 
bill each other.
  When I call home to Alaska, that call is transmitted over several 
different carriers. Phone companies charge each other for the use of 
their networks. The funds generated by these charges are particularly 
important to carriers in Alaska and throughout rural America. Phantom 
traffic prevents carriers from collecting the funds they are owed, 
impacting universal service and raising rates for rural customers.
  It's time Congress pulled back the mask on phantom traffic to 
discover who or what is behind this problem that has plagued carriers 
for several years. The Federal Communications Commission is actively 
analyzing the issue, but it is time we find a solution.
  Yesterday the Commerce Committee heard from a member of the National 
Telecommunications Cooperative Association from rural Missouri. He told 
us that 11 percent of their traffic did not have sufficient information 
for billing, causing them to lose about $37 per line per year. This 
loss of revenue makes it more difficult for rural carriers to deploy 
broadband.
  Our bill will require all calls from voice communications service 
providers to contain enough information to allow carriers to bill each 
other, including voice over internet protocol providers offering 2-way 
service and providers transiting the traffic between originating and 
terminating providers. Our bill also directs the FCC to establish rules 
implementing this requirement within 12 months of enactment, and gives 
it the authority to adopt enforcement provisions. Phantom traffic 
steals from rural carriers and customers. I hope Congress and the FCC 
will look at this issue closely and put an end to phantom traffic.

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