Rep Dingell Seeks Input From Phone Cos On Regulatory Issues

Just days before lawmakers leave town, perhaps for the rest of the year, House Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) wants AT&T, Verizon Communications, and Qwest Communications to state their positions on several telecommunications issues that Congress could consider next year. Among other things, he wants executives at the three largest phone companies in the country to explain why firms' requests for regulatory relief should be granted automatically if the Federal Communications Commission's votes are tied. In a letter sent to the companies Tuesday, Chairman Dingell noted that the five-member FCC could be forced to operate with just four commissioners -- two Republicans and two Democrats -- as early as November, and they could split votes on controversial decisions. Chairman Dingell asked the three companies whether they have waiver requests pending at the FCC that could come due between November 2008 and early 2009. He also asked the three companies if the FCC should shorten the transfer interval for telephone customers who opt to keep their phone numbers when switching services. Transferring phone numbers generally takes a couple of hours for wireless switches, but the industry standard for landline changes is four days.