WorldCom Decries House Action On
Tauzin-DingellBackground: The U.S. House of
Representatives today approved legislation (HR 1542) sponsored
by Reps. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R., LA) and John Dingell (D.,
MI) that would allow the Bell local telephone companies to
provide long distance data services within their regions
without first opening their monopoly local markets to
competition and bar competitive carriers from providing
broadband services to consumers. While the Senate is not
expected to take up this harmful bill, WorldCom regrets that
the House would seek to reverse the pro-competitive provisions
of the landmark Telecommunications Act of 1996.
The following statement should be attributed to Bernard J.
Ebbers, WorldCom President and CEO:
"By pushing the Tauzin-Dingell bill through the U.S. House
of Representatives, the Bell companies are attempting to drive
a stake through the heart of the Internet economy. This
legislation is designed to obliterate everything U.S. business
stands for — legitimate, open, competitive, industries that
are won and lost by serving customers, not by having success
handed to them by their friendly Member of Congress. It is
unbelievable, especially in this day and age, that we have
legislators who would vote for a piece of legislation that is
so counter to the American way.
HR 1542 is designed to tilt the telecom playing field
irreversibly in favor of the local Bell monopolies – denying
the economic growth and innovation that only competition can
bring. Worse, it would let the Bells avoid their obligations
under the Telecom Act to open their monopoly markets to
competition. It’s a step backward – delaying economic
recovery, putting thousands of jobs at risk and restricting
choice for reliable broadband service across the country – at
a time when it’s critical to our economy that we move forward.
Thankfully, leading members of the U.S. Senate have
recognized that competition beats monopoly and have pledged to
stop this harmful and unnecessary bill in its tracks. Only
strong enforcement of the 1996 Act – not a pro-Bell love
offering – will open the door to competition while spurring
deployment of broadband to all Americans."
- 27
February, 2002
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