Major Carriers Dispute Need for Equal Access Rules
CTIA, AT&T, Verizon and Qwest told the FCC the record the agency has built through a notice of inquiry shows that equal access and nondiscrimination rules make no sense in a competitive world. But the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) said the FCC should keep in mind that all comments opposing these requirements come from “mammoth” companies seeking weaker regulation.
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CTIA specifically opposed suggestions by some commenters to a notice of inquiry that equal access requirements apply to wireless. “Equal access, a regulation borne out of a monopoly market, has no place in the competitive wireless marketplace,” CTIA said. “The success of the wireless industry and its continued ability to bring competitive and innovative new services to its more than 230 million subscribers is due in large part to the light regulatory touch of the Commission.”
AT&T said most commenters agree that equal access rules “have outlived their usefulness, are counter-productive” and should be killed. “In the face of robust competition in the communications market, there is no justification to continue to impose these one-sided regulations.” Verizon noted that only Alaska competitive carrier GCI, NASUCA and the N.J. Division of Rate Counsel want the FCC to preserve equal access and nondiscrimination rules. “They provide no basis for doing so,” Verizon said. “Neither current market configurations, nor speculative future market dysfunctions, warrant retaining these… requirements,” Qwest said.
Not so, said NASUCA. “The comments saying there is no longer a need for the equal access requirements came from mammoth carriers who would like nothing better than to be able to steer customers only to their own long distance affiliates, their association, and [Time Warner Cable] a carrier that seeks to preserve its right to do so.” The Iowa Telecommunications Association thinks the rules are important. “Equal access gives the consumer the choice of carriers on a basis of price and/or quality of service,” the group said.