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NEWS RELEASE
December 10, 2003
CONTACT: David Fish
(202) 289-8928
   

Friday: Telecom Competition Debate
Sides React to New National Market Report,
Discuss Retail Competition

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A soon-to-be-released comprehensive report on the state of local telecommunications competition (a major goal of the 1996 Telecommunications Act) provides the context for a Capital Hill debate this Friday between the various sides of the deregulation question. Authors of the report, who conclude existing and potential competition is sufficient to constrain incumbent companies’ prices, and that consumers would benefit from immediate retail deregulation, plan to release “Trends in the Competitiveness of Telecommunications Markets: Implications for Deregulation of Retail Local Services” tomorrow.

Panelists in the Friday, December 12, Congressional Seminar include Blair Levin, managing director of regulatory strategy at Legg Mason Equity Research; John Morabito, VP of legislative and regulatory affairs at Qwest; John Windhausen, Jr., president of the Association for Local Telecommunications Services; and Joseph S. Kraemer, director at LECG, LLC and adjunct fellow of The Progress & Freedom Foundation (and co-author of the special report). The moderator will be Randolph J. May, senior fellow and director of communications policy studies at the Foundation (and another co-author).

The event takes place 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. in Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-369. Those interested in attending should register by contacting Rebecca Fuller at 202-289-8928 or rfuller@pff.org. Lunch will be served.

In light of technological advances providing facilities based competition from wireless, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), cable telephony, electronic messaging services, etc., are local telephone markets sufficiently contestable (providing ease of entry and exit for competitors) to deregulate local telephone rates? The Progress & Freedom Foundation Special Report says “yes.” Friday’s program will seek reaction from experts of with varying perspectives.

The Progress & Freedom Foundation is a market-oriented think tank that studies the impact of the digital revolution and its implications for public policy. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

 

 

The Progress & Freedom Foundation