The recent pandemic has resulted in thousands of employees and students using the teleconferencing services Zoom and WebEx to work and attend online classes, resulting in an issue with the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) access arbitrage rules. The violation, also known as access stimulation, stems from the two applications’ traffic carrier, Inteliquent. Access Stimulation occurs when a carrier with a high access charge rate enters into an arrangement with another company who is also experiencing high call volume, according to the FCC.

Typically, the FCC would consider the access stimulation a detriment to consumers as it increases long-distance rates for all customers, including those who are not taking advantage of the high volume services. However, given recent circumstances, the FCC has stated that these services are currently critical to the nation as it moves to mass teleworking. The recent pandemic has arguably changed daily lives and has resulted in an enormous increase of people using services such as WebEx and Zoom. Therefore, Inteliquent has been issued a waiver that is set to expire on June 1 that allows the company to continue operating under such circumstances.

Read More: FCC Issues Waiver For Telecom Supporting Zoom and WebEx Traffic