Law Commons^™

Paved With Good Intentions: How Interlata Data Relief Undermines The Competitive Provisions Of The 1996 Act, Jean F. Walker

Federal Communications Law Journal

In the past few decades, the competitive climate has transformed for telecommunications companies from unification to fragmentation and back again. Rapidly changing technologies have created a “digital divide”—a technological gap between the “haves” and the “have nots.” H.R. 1542 attempts to solve the problem of the digital divide by providing Bell operating companies with expansive interLATA relief for data services. Although this bill has been a long time in the making, its sponsor, Representative Tauzin, recently reintroduced it in committee. This Note examines the problem of the digital divide, and provides the context in which H.R. 1542 developed. It also …

Progress And Regress On Interlata Competition, David M. Mandy

Federal Communications Law Journal

At this writing, the FCC has denied Bell Operating Company applications for entry into in-region interLATA (long-distance) markets in Oklahoma, Michigan, South Carolina, Louisiana, and on a reapplication in Louisiana; approved one application for New York; and is currently considering an application for Texas. Thus, almost four years elapsed from the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 until any Bell Company received relief from the line-of-business restriction, and even now relief has been received in only one state. This Article briefly reviews the economics of Bell Company entry into interLATA markets; summarizes the reasons given by the FCC for …

The Last Mile: A Race For Local Telecommunications Competition Policy, Craig D. Dingwall

Federal Communications Law Journal

Although AT&T relinquished control of its local exchange carriers (LECs) in 1983, competition in the local telecommunications market has not flourished. Instead, Bell Operating Companies (BOCs) still retain the bulk of the market share for local exchange services, and most customers cannot access alternative local exchange service providers. In the long-distance market, however, increased competition has provided customers with better services at lower costs. In order to reproduce the notable consumer advantages found in the long-distance market, consumers must have consistent, convenient access to a multiplicity of alternative service providers.

The Author examines barriers surrounding the lack of competition in …