AT&T (NYSE: T) has asked the FCC for permission to shut down its BellSouth Program Audio in the serving wire center for Carbon Hill, Ala., and Kings Point, Fla., taking another step in its TDM to IP transition in these markets.
The BellSouth Program Audio service, which is otherwise known as BellSouth SPA Program Audio, is a TDM-based transport service that transmits music audio signals at 50-15,000 Hz, 200-3,500 Hz, 100-5,000 Hz, or 50-8,000 Hz.
It said that bandwidth of the service is a function of the channel interface selected by the customer.
Similar to earlier filings in these two markets made for other TDM-based services, AT&T said that none of its customers would be impacted by this change since no one currently uses the service. Additionally, it has no plans to offer an IP-based service since no one has shown an interest for such a service.
"The public convenience and necessity will not be impaired by the grandfathering of this service because there is no customer demand for this service," AT&T said. "AT&T has no customers that currently subscribe to this service in the Trial Wire Centers. AT&T is not offering an IP-based replacement service for Program Audio service in the Trial Wire Centers because there has been no demand for a replacement in the market."
This is just one of a number of services in these markets that AT&T has sought to shut down. The service provider also requested to discontinue offering its analog video and private line voice services.
Its latest service discontinuance request comes after the company reported in October that while more customers are purchasing IP-based services in these two markets, it is happening at a slower pace.
AT&T has not indicated if and when it's going to pursue similar transitions in other parts of its wireline territory.
For more:
- see the FCC filing (PDF)
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