While reviewing interconnection issues generic to competition in the telecommunications local exchange market, the Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC) has mandated that local exchange carriers (LECs) offer all basic local exchange services for resale at wholesale rates to competitors as well as affiliates. According to the PSC, state law defines wholesale rates as retail rates less the LEC's avoided costs.
The PSC also ruled that the state's major LECs, Ameritech Michigan and GTE North Inc., should implement "true number portability" at the same time Ameritech begins implementation in Illinois. Because all customers and providers will benefit from true number portability, the costs of development and implementation should be distributed among all providers in a competitively neutral fashion, the PSC said.