Telecom Policy Report articles from September 2003

Telecom Policy Report archives from September 2003

BellSouth, AT&T Sale Talks Stall Over Asking Price.
September 10, 2003... AT&T CEO Dorman Looking For Upwards Of $25 Per Share Ongoing discussions about a possible BellSouth acquisition of AT&T have bogged down over the asking price for AT&T, according to sources closely following the negotiations. AT&T wants...

FCC Ready To OK Iowa Telecom's Access Rate Hike.
September 10, 2003... Move Raises Long Distance Rates For Hundreds Of Thousands The FCC at press time (Sept. 8) was poised to approve a significant interexchange access rate increase sought by Iowa Telecom (IT), despite staunch resistance and harsh criticism...

TPR Goes One-On-One With Virginia's Technology Czar.
September 10, 2003... Virginia's Secretary of Technology George Newstrom has a lot on his plate right now. It used to be that the functions of his office were shared by the Department of Information Technology (DIT), the Department of Technology Planning (DTP), and...

FCC Unlikely To Quickly Respond To USTA/Bells Petition.
September 10, 2003... The FCC probably won't act as quickly as the U.S. Telecom Association (USTA) and the Regional Bells would like it to in addressing concerns raised in a joint USTA/Baby Bells petition urging regulators to delay implementation of new rules...

Wireless Industry's Anti-LNP Efforts Continue Faltering.
September 10, 2003... A last-ditch effort by the wireless industry to avoid compliance with the FCC's local number portability (LNP) rules fell short late last Thursday when a bill, authored by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), that would have blocked the FCC's Nov. 24...

FCC Staff Moving From Nextel Spectrum Swap Proposal.
September 10, 2003... Momentum at the FCC staff level seems to be moving away from a Nextel proposal calling for a spectrum swap that would resolve public-safety interference in the 800 MHz band. The commissioners have not yet made a final policy decision, but a...

Bilikaris' Low Profile On Telecom Scene Pays Off.
September 10, 2003... Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-Fla.) is second highest ranking Republican - behind Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) - on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. And while his current political donations from telecom interests aren't yet anything to write...

Class Action Lawsuit Could Be Costly For AT&T Wireless.
September 10, 2003... Lawyers representing AT&T Wireless Inc. are gearing up to do battle in a nationwide class action lawsuit that was certified late last week in the District Court of the City and County of Denver, Colo. - Anthony Vastano, et al. v. AT&T Wireless...

Lawmakers Eye Changes In Universal Service Fund.
September 17, 2003... Sen. Burns Pondering Legislation That Could Increase Fees Despite a Congressional Budget Office forecast that predicts more than a 100 percent increase in the size of the federal Universal Service Fund by 2005, congressional leaders are now...

FCC Begins Review Of TELRIC Pricing Methodology.
September 17, 2003... Critical Proceeding Could Make Or Break Chairman Michael Powell FCC Chairman Michael Powell may be biting off more than he can possibly chew. Having only recently emerged from issuing its long awaited Triennial Review Order (TRO) -...

Push To IP Telephony Spurring Business Model Changes.
September 17, 2003... Twenty percent of U.S. enterprises will implement Internet Protocol (IP) telephony at more than five sites (also know as "Stage 2" implementations) by the end of 2003 - a major increase from 8 percent of enterprises at end-of-year 2002,...

Analyst Sees Little Incentive For Bells To Deploy FTTH.
September 17, 2003... Analysis of the FCC's Triennial Review provisions affecting broadband and fiber/packet deployment reveals the order is not meaningful deregulation for broadband. Furthermore, the order is unlikely to result in the Regional Bells ramping capex...

AT&T's Dorman: Telecom Prosperity Critical To America.
September 17, 2003... The telecommunications sector is at a critical juncture and its return to prosperity is an essential contributor to the nation's ultimate economic resurgence, AT&T chairman and CEO David Dorman told an audience attending a telecom symposium...

Inouye Seen As Quiet Force In Telecom Policymaking.
September 17, 2003... Most people probably don't know this, but in matters concerning telecom policy, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the fourth most senior member of Congress, is one of the most influential voices on Capitol Hill. He, along with Sen. Ernest Hollings...

VoIP Moves To Center Stage Of Regulatory Theater.
September 24, 2003... FCC Prepares To Undertake Rulemaking On Internet Telephony If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck. That's the line of thinking now permeating a growing number of statelevel agencies charged with...

VoIP Spurring Worldwide Demand For Broadband.
September 24, 2003... Internet Telephony Seen As Key Driver For International Upswing A primary driving force behind a marked increase in worldwide subscription numbers for broadband services appears to be consumer demand for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP),...

'We Found Your Web Site, But We Still Don't Get It'.
September 24, 2003... Research Shows Disturbing Tendency In E-Government Communications Most state and federal government web sites are not fully accessible to American citizens because they are written at too high of a grade level, according to the latest...

Florida PSC Poised To Let ILECs Raise Basic Phone Rates.
September 24, 2003... The Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) is preparing to allow the state's three primary incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) to raise rates for basic service. In a preliminary move, the commission last week voted to hold seven public...

Consumer Coalition Seeks 'License Exempt' Bandwidth.
September 24, 2003... A coalition of liberal-leaning consumer advocacy organizations is urging the FCC to open more "license exempt" spectrum for citizen use, an action that many believe would help bring affordable wireless broadband Internet to underserved...

Challengers Will Find Cliff Stearns Tough To Beat.
September 24, 2003... Make no mistake: Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla,), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's commerce, trade & consumer protection subcommittee, not only is a key player in telecom policymaking circles on Capitol Hill, he's also a...