Carriers' woes hamper agents' ability to collect

A growing number of telecom carrier agents are concerned about substantial delays in commission payments from carriers.

Some agents said they have been waiting as long as a year for commissions, which impedes their ability to pay expenses.

Last week, master agent PentaStar Communications said it could not meet current cash obligations, including payroll, and is in default with its lenders. The reason: an inability to collect $3 million from various carriers, the company said.

One agent executive familiar with that...