House Commerce Committee Chairman Thomas J. Bliley Jr. (R., Va.) indicated today that he will continue to oppose federal legislation that would streamline regulation of incumbent local exchange carriers' provision of advanced services and make it easier for the Bell operating companies to carry data across LATA (local access and transport area) boundaries.

Delivering remarks at the competitive local exchange carrier summit held today in Washington, Rep. Bliley discounted claims that policy-makers need to ease regulation of ILECs' broadband services. "Some say the Bell companies need regulatory advantages in order to roll out new facilities. I say that's a recipe for ensuring the current rapid pace of broadband deployment will grind to a halt," he stated.

"There's nothing in the law today that precludes the RBOCs from rolling out [broadband services]," Rep. Bliley said. He added that the Bell companies are "doing just that in" areas where they face competition from cable TV providers.

Rep. Bliley called on opponents of the broadband relief bills to "go to as many members of Congress, particularly members of the Senate, and explain to them why it would be a bad idea at this point in time to reopen the" Telecommunications Act of 1996.

The Commerce Committee chairman also touched on several telecom- related issues that he expects to surface during hearings this year, including Internet privacy, barriers to local phone competition, and facilitating CLECs' access to multitenant buildings. Congressional sources say several House Commerce Committee members plan to introduce legislation this year that would make it easier for CLECs to gain access to buildings.

Legislation to legalize the use of digital signatures in Internet transactions should be reported out of conference and sent to the president "fairly early" this year, Rep. Bliley said today. He blamed minority leadership in the House for bogging down progress on the bill last fall (TR, Nov. 15, 1999). Key House Democrats "did everything they could to stop it," he added.

Addressing congressional efforts to privatize the international satellite consortium Intelsat, Rep. Bliley said he expects House and Senate negotiators working on a compromise Intelsat reform bill to "get right to it" early in the new session that begins Jan. 24. Rep. Bliley was author of the House Intelsat reform bill.

He shrugged off a reporter's question asking whether he would seek chairmanship of the telecommunications, trade, and consumer protection subcommittee if House Republicans still have the majority after the fall elections. Rep. Bliley's three-term run as chairman will expire at the end of this Congress. Leading candidates to succeed him are Reps. W.J. (Billy) Tauzin (R., La.) and Michael G. Oxley (R., Ohio), the respective chairmen of the telecom and finance and hazardous materials subcommittees.

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The Competitive Broadband Coalition members include the Association of Communications Enterprises (ASCENT), the Association for Local Telecommunications Services (ALTS), AT&T, the Commercial Internet eXchange Association (CIX), CompTel (Competitive Telecommunications Association), Cable & Wireless, Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), Montana Telecommunications Association, Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA), Sprint, Touch America and WorldCom. More information can be found at http://www.competitivebroadband.org/1041/home.jsp