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Broadband & Mobile Featured Article
December 05, 2007
Some Insiders Applaud FCC Rejecting Verizon Request for Deregulation
By Tim Gray TMCnet Web Editor
The FCC (News - Alert) has rejected all six e petitions filed by Verizon Communications requesting the Commission refrain from applying certain network unbundling rules in six major metropolitan areas from New Hampshire to North Carolina.
If accepted, the petition would have subjected 34 million Americans in broad areas surrounding Boston, Providence, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Virginia Beach to fewer choices and higher prices for telecommunications services, according to COMPTEL (News - Alert) CEO Jerry James.
“We applaud FCC Chairman Martin and Commissioners McDowell, Tate, Copps and Adelstein for recognizing the concerns raised by COMPTEL and its members companies, consumer advocates and state officials over the devastating effect Verizon’s (News - Alert) petitions would have had on competition and consumer choice along the East Coast,” said COMPTEL, an industry association representing competitive communications service providers and their supplier partners.
In addition the Commission’s recent decision to consider establishing rules governing the process by which forbearance petitions will be treated by regulators in the future was also greeted with praise from COMPTEL.
“We thank the Commission for thoughtfully considering the enormous amount of data collected in this proceeding and for finding that Verizon failed to meet its burden of proof that deregulation was justified in these six markets,” said James.
Jerry said the decision indicated the House and Senate Commerce Committees supported the competitive communications industry and the critical need to preserve competitive alternatives in the marketplace to the benefit of American consumers.
Tim Gray is a Web Editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP
communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To see more of his articles, please visit Tim Gray’s columnist page.
If accepted, the petition would have subjected 34 million Americans in broad areas surrounding Boston, Providence, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Virginia Beach to fewer choices and higher prices for telecommunications services, according to COMPTEL (News - Alert) CEO Jerry James.
“We applaud FCC Chairman Martin and Commissioners McDowell, Tate, Copps and Adelstein for recognizing the concerns raised by COMPTEL and its members companies, consumer advocates and state officials over the devastating effect Verizon’s (News - Alert) petitions would have had on competition and consumer choice along the East Coast,” said COMPTEL, an industry association representing competitive communications service providers and their supplier partners.
In addition the Commission’s recent decision to consider establishing rules governing the process by which forbearance petitions will be treated by regulators in the future was also greeted with praise from COMPTEL.
“We thank the Commission for thoughtfully considering the enormous amount of data collected in this proceeding and for finding that Verizon failed to meet its burden of proof that deregulation was justified in these six markets,” said James.
Jerry said the decision indicated the House and Senate Commerce Committees supported the competitive communications industry and the critical need to preserve competitive alternatives in the marketplace to the benefit of American consumers.
Tim Gray is a Web Editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP
communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To see more of his articles, please visit Tim Gray’s columnist page.
