CONNECTICUT'S LOCAL PHONE COMPETITORS UNITE TO ADVANCE GOALS
OF MARKET-OPENING LEGISLATION
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HARTFORD, CT, July 1, 1999 -- An industry group of
competitive local telecommunications providers and the two leading
national associations representing the competitive telecommunications and
resale industries, are joining together to promote the introduction of new
communications services to Connecticut telephone customers. The group will
focus its efforts on advancing the goals of a recently passed bill that
set forth a timetable for breaking SNET's 99% monopoly control of the
local phone market in Connecticut.
The companies and associations support the pro-competitive goals of the
legislation and believe that by speaking with one voice they can help
state regulators simplify the job of enacting the complicated, yet
essential, provisions of the legislation. Among the companies joining the
effort are AT&T, the Competitive Telecommunications Association
(CompTel), MCI WorldCom, Partner Communications Group Inc., Sprint and the
Telecommunications Resellers Association (TRA).
"Our companies want to provide state regulators with the necessary
industry information to make the difficult decisions needed to
irreversibly open the local telephone market to competition," said Terry
Monroe, CompTel's Vice President of State Government Affairs. "We hope our
combined real market experience in dealing with SNET will aid the
Department of Public Utility Control as it sets the pro-competitive rules
of the road. Connecticut customers deserve the benefits of competition
that their neighbors in other states are seeing today -- lower prices,
improved service and new innovative products."
The legislation (SB 1299/PA-99-222), passed at the end of the
legislative term June 9 and signed by Governor Rowland June 29, calls for
the DPUC to quickly decide critical remaining issues preventing
competitors from entering the local phone market on a wide-scale basis,
including:
· Pricing: The bill gives the DPUC until July 1, 2000, to set
"forward-looking" rates that competitors must pay SNET for leasing pieces
-- or combined segments -- of the existing public phone network.
· Operations Support Systems (OSS): The bill requires SNET to have
nondiscriminatory, automated electronic systems in place by November 1,
2000, so competitors can interface with SNET's systems to place commercial
volumes of orders, bill and maintain customers. The bill also requires
critical third-party testing of the "OSS" systems to ensure they work in a
real-world business environment.
· Performance Standards and Penalties: The bill requires the Department
to adopt standards by April 1, 2000, to measure how well SNET performs in
a competitive environment. The standards will address the services and
functions SNET provides its resellers and facilities-based competitors,
such as ordering, provisioning, billing, maintenance and repair. The DPUC
also has been given the ability to impose greater fines when SNET fails to
obey an order or acts in an anticompetitive manner.
"By embracing this bill, Governor Rowland and the legislature sent a
clear message to state regulators, SNET and the people of Connecticut:
Connecticut will not be left behind while consumers in other states are
beginning to enjoy the benefits of local phone competition," said Robert
Lopardo, Regional Director of Public Policy for MCI WorldCom. "We are
joining together in the interest of competition and the benefits it will
bring the state, its consumers and the companies in our coalition to
ensure that Connecticut's transition to an open local phone market is as
smooth and speedy as possible."
Additional Information
