IP Convergence: Beyond VoIP, Beyond Cost Savings

Paul Kouroupas is vice president in charge of regulatory affairs for Global Crossing. Global Crossing operates of one of the world’s most extensive fiber optic IP backbone networks, offering a full range of telecommunications and IP-based services in more than 500 cities in 50 countries around the world. Mr. Kouroupas is responsible for obtaining and maintaining operating licenses in each country and representing Global Crossing before national regulatory authorities. Mr. Kouroupas also supports the establishment of interconnection agreements with incumbent and competitive carriers around the world. Mr. Kouroupas is also Global Crossing’s security officer and is responsible for ensuring company compliance with the requirements of the company’s Network Security Agreement with the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Network Security Agreement establishes a set of requirements designed to protect the critical infrastructure operated by Global Crossing and to support law enforcement efforts. Prior to joining Global Crossing, Mr. Kouroupas served as vice president, regulatory and external affairs at Teleport Communications Group Inc. (“TCG”) where he represented TCG before state regulatory and legislative authorities in 16 eastern region states. Mr. Kouroupas was also responsible for negotiating and managing the implementation of interconnection agreements with incumbent local exchange carriers. He negotiated the first modern interconnection agreement between an incumbent carrier and a competitive carrier in 1994, a full two years before the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Mr. Kouroupas also represented TCG at numerous industry forums and co-chaired the Central Office Code Guideline forum, which established for the first time national standards for the assignment of central office codes to competitive carriers. Mr. Kouroupas graduated from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law and its Communications Law Institute in 1992. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.

In the Onion Peel I hope to peel back the onion on topical public policy issues and examine the merits (or lack thereof) of various public policy positions put forth by industry participants. I will also advance proposals of my own that hopefully stimulate further discussion and contribute to the on-going debates in a positive manner.