Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and Mass. Consumers Coalitio...
Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and Mass. Consumers Coalition urged FCC Wed. to deny Verizon’s application for Sec. 271 entry in Mass. because rates carrier charged competitors weren’t cost-based and its operations support systems (OSS) were inadequate. In conference…
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call with reporters, CFA Research Dir. Mark Cooper said group was concerned about pricing issue because Verizon was using same rates as were adopted in N.Y. state, rather than undergoing separate cost review by state regulators in Mass. He said OSS concern was similar to that raised by Dept. of Justice -- lack of adequate support for competitors seeking access to DSL lines. Cooper said Mass. application was particularly important because it was first one to be acted upon by new FCC under Chmn. Powell and because it set stage for large number of new applications expected this year. If FCC approves questionable pricing strategy on Mass. application, it could set precedent, Cooper warned. He said CFA supported Verizon’s N.Y. application but plugging N.Y. rates into Mass. application was “legally flawed.” “We would like to reestablish discipline on the part of the Commission,” he said. Wed. was deadline for reply comments on Verizon’s Mass. application. Company urged FCC to approve it, based on fact that competitors had captured more than 16% of phone lines and were gaining 1% every 6 weeks. Verizon has to prove its local network is open to competition before getting long distance authority under Sec. 271. It said level of competition in Mass. was highest yet seen by FCC in any state where Bell company had sought entry. “These numbers clearly demonstrate that the Massachusetts telecommunications market is irreversibly open,” Verizon Senior Vp Thomas Tauke said. Because of concerns about DSL access, Verizon refiled its application Jan. 16 to offer more proof of nondiscriminatory access. Company said there now was more proof because in last 2 months it had met more than 97% of its installation appointments for DSL-capable loops and 96% of them had operated without problems.