Arguments against a Verizon petition seeking forbearance in Rhode...
Arguments against a Verizon petition seeking forbearance in Rhode Island urge the FCC to “impose more demanding criteria than it has used in the past,” Verizon said in reply comments. The carrier seeks relief from loop and transport unbundling…
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requirements. “The commenters do not seriously dispute that Verizon meets the [FCC’s] coverage threshold and share-of-residential-lines tests,” Verizon said. The FCC has studied wireless and cable competition in forbearance petitions before and may do so again, Verizon said. Also, measuring Rhode Island competition on a rate center basis is more appropriate than doing it by wire center or metropolitan statistical area, Verizon said. “Rate centers equally reflect the areas in which competing carriers and Verizon provide local telephone service, and Cox and other cable operators internally track their coverage by rate center.” Verizon got no support in initial comments, said a filing by Covad, NuVox and XO Communications. “The comments were unanimous that Verizon has not met the statutory requirements for forbearance and that a grant of forbearance would result in significant negative impacts on consumers throughout Rhode Island.” The FCC should deny the petition because Verizon hasn’t provided sufficient data to show facilities-based competition in the mass or enterprise market, they said. “Instead, it relies on high-level or imprecise data obtained from websites.” Also, Verizon hasn’t given any competition data on the wholesale market, they said.