Competitors Alliance to Battle AT&T, Verizon over Special Access
A Washington coalition lining up rivals of AT&T and Verizon may soon reveal itself, industry sources close to the matter told us Friday. Coalition organizers are hoping to unite independent wireless companies, competitive local exchange carriers, Google, consumer groups and other historical foes of the big phone companies, sources said. A special-access revamp will be the group’s top priority, at least at first, they said.
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Such a coalition has been in the works for some time. The benefits were discussed by panels at the past two CompTel shows, where the idea was endorsed by the association’s former President Matthew Salmon, ex-congressman Chip Pickering and others (CD March 6 p6). Building a coalition has taken longer than expected, an industry source said. Some of the holdup has resulted from attention to economic stimulus and the delay in Senate confirmation of Julius Genachowski as the FCC chairman, the source said. But the alliance is “getting closer” to becoming a reality, the person said. It could be nailed down by June or July, and an announcement may come sooner.
The competitive alliance is recruiting members, another industry source said. Financial contributions to the coalition by members will be optional, the source said. The group has invited “anyone who is not” an incumbent local exchange carrier, the source said. When the coalition surfaces depends on the timing of an expected FCC effort to collect more data on the special access industry. The coalition’s organizers would like to have a better sense of the commission’s direction before it makes an announcement, the source said.
Sprint Nextel is expected to take a leading role, at least at first, as the group takes on special access. But the group’s organizers hope to expand the group’s scope to include other matters that often put competitors at odds with AT&T and Verizon, including wireless roaming and VoIP interconnection, said the first industry source. CompTel, which Sprint and CLECs belong to, will play a “strong role” in the coalition, the source said.