Right-of-Way and PEG Control

Local telecom regulators converge in Washington this week for the annual National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors conference amid challenges to their power as the Bells push for national video franchising. A number of bills before Congress this session would crop the authority of local regulators, but NATOA leaders say such measures have sprung up before. NATOA President Coralie Wilson said change in the regulatory landscape is inevitable, but called it a "cheap shot" to say cities are the stumbling block to deployment of advanced services. Concerning rights of way she reminded, "One of the things that people forget is the public rights of way are in my front yard. You can't have the FCC or the state Public Utilities Commission managing it." Congress should recognize that as new services roll out technical and consumer issues will persist: "Who do these folks call if they have a billing problem? Is the FCC going to take these phone calls? I don't think so." Local governments want Congress to give such issues serious consideration before passing laws, she said. Public, educational and government (PEG) access channels have been a key tool for local governments, said Wilson, and they are under threat. SBC and Verizon have been pushing at the state level to eliminate not only local franchising but also support for PEG, she said. "They appear to be pursuing that goal at the federal level" as well, she said. "I hope that we will be able to impress upon leaders in Washington how important it is to preserve PEG."
(Not available online)
For more info on the NATOA conference, see:
http://www.natoa.org/bottom_frameset.html?go=conference