Consumer groups oppose telecom deregulation

CONSUMER GROUPS OPPOSE TELECOM DEREGULATION
[SOURCE: InfoWorld, AUTHOR: Grant Gross]
Eight public-interest and consumer groups have asked the Federal Communications Commission to reject requests by two large telecommunication providers to close off their copper voice and data networks to competitors in 10 U.S. cities. Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, EDUCAUSE, Free Press, Media Access Project, New America Foundation, Public Knowledge, and U.S. Public Interest Research Groups sent a letter to the FCC Tuesday, saying attempts by Verizon and Qwest to end wholesale price controls on their copper networks would result in "significant rate increases." The two companies are among several telecom carriers that have filed so-called forbearance petitions with the FCC over the past two years. But there's not enough competition to justify the deregulation, the public-interest and consumer groups argued in their letter. Qwest and Verizon now have few broadband or voice competitors, they argued. The letter refers to a study, paid for by competitors of the two telecom giants, saying the average cost of household phone service in the six cities covered by the Verizon request would rise by $114 a year.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/11/13/Consumer-groups-oppose-telecom-deregulation-requests_1.html

* Public Knowledge press release:
http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1272

* Read the letter:
http://www.publicknowledge.org/pdf/fcc-letter-20071113.pdf