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| Association
of Communications Enterprises |
1401 K
Street, N.W. Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20005 |
Phone:(202)
835-9898 Fax:(202) 835-9893 | |
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Contact: Celeste Powers Director of Public Affairs (202) 835-9898, ext.3015 cpowers@ascent.org | ||
| TRA Seeks To Speed Public
Availability of Advanced Services Letter to Chairman Kennard |
| (Washington, D.C., March 1, 1999) - The
Telecommunications Resellers Association (TRA) today submitted a
proposal to the Federal Communications Commission to help speed
deployment of advanced telecom services to American consumers. The
TRA proposal calls on the FCC to increase the number of providers
offering advanced services to the general public by moving swiftly
to require incumbent local exchange carriers to supply advanced
services to competing carriers at wholesale rates. The 1996
Telecommunications Act requires the FCC to ensure that advanced
services, which refer to high-speed, high-capacity services that can
be transmitted over regular copper telephone wires, are being
deployed to American consumers on a "reasonable and timely" basis.
During proceedings begun last year to determine how best to achieve
this goal, the FCC tentatively decided that incumbent LECs marketing
advanced services to the general public must make these services
available to competing carriers at wholesale rates. But unless the
decision is isolated from the overall advanced services proceedings
and acted on separately, it probably would not be implemented for
many months. In a letter from Ernie Kelly, TRA president, to FCC
chairman William Kennard, the Association asked the Commission to
"act now to confirm that advanced services are subject to the
Telecommunications Act's resale obligations." By taking this step,
Kelly said, the Commission would "increase the number of carriers
marketing advanced services" which "is wholly consistent with its
statutory obligation to help speed deployment of advanced services
to consumers across the United States." Kelly also pointed out that
prompt implementation of the resale requirement would "minimize the
'headstart' advantage incumbent LECs enjoy over competing carriers
in the advanced services marketplace." Finally, Kelly dismissed the
argument by incumbent LECs which claims they have no legal
obligation to provide advanced services to competitors at wholesale
rates because these services will be supplied predominantly on a
wholesale basis as input components of retail Internet services.
"Just as the sale of computer chips to a manufacturer of computers
is a retail transaction," Kelly responded, "the sale of advanced
services to an ISP likewise is a retail, rather than a wholesale,
transaction."
|
 Association of Communications Enterprises (ASCENT) - http://www.ascent.org/ - is the leading trade organization of entrepreneurial communications firms and their suppliers. ASCENT member companies provide a full range of communications services utilizing narrowband, broadband and wireless technologies. They share a common desire for new business opportunities, technological innovation, managerial excellence, and adherence to high ethical standards. ASCENT's mission is to open all communications markets to full and fair competition and to help member companies design and implement successful business plans. Formerly the Telecommunications Resellers Association (TRA), ASCENT was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. |