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Ohio Internet Service Providers http://www.oispa.org/ Association FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Deployment Act of 2001". Friday, April 27, 2001 - The following statement is from Barry Hassler, President of the Ohio Internet Service Providers Association (OISPA). OISPA is an Internet trade association number over fifty independent Ohio based Internet Providers. On behalf of the Ohio Internet Service Providers Association, OISPA, I would like to express our opposition to the 'Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act of 2001' (107 Congress, H.R. 1542) introduced by Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-LA). and Rep. John Dingell (D-MI).
The bill proposes to eliminate regulation, imposed at the federal and state level, of Internet services and access facilities. This regulation, the bill purports, came as a result of misinterpretation or overzealous interpretation by federal and state agencies of certain provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 by which the agencies could require of the incumbent Bell Operating Companies, the BOCs, an opening of local service, including high-speed service, to competition through such means as access to wholesale rates on facilities, fair terms on contracts, availability to network equipment for provisioning, and standards for seeing that business and technical problems which arise between the BOC and their customers and prospective competitors were handled in a fair and timely manner. Although the bill does not show a connection, it claims that the regulation harms the public by reducing their access to and choice in Internet providing services, most especially high-speed service. Eliminating the regulation imposed on the BOCs would, the bill claims, provide market incentives for the rapid delivery of high-speed services to the public and to the Internet Service Providers, the ISPs, who would deliver those services.
The bill is cleverly framed, but misleading. The BOCs have a monopoly on local telecommunications facilities. Facilities are not the only aspect needed to deliver Internet service, but they are an essential one. The public benefits from fair competition. Fair competition in all aspects of Internet service, including facilities, will bring the greatest benefit to the public. The bill gives incentive to whom needs it least. Even under the current regulatory framework, ISPs and BOC competitors have struggled with the BOCs on issues promoting fair competition. With the regulation oversight eliminated, the BOCs will again have a free hand over issues of service, cost, and access -- erasing the very aims of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
And the trouble does not end with that. By dictating service availability, cost and quality, the BOCs will leverage ownership of facilities into ownership of Internet providing services. This is unfair competition. Eliminating the regulation eliminates the competition in local telecommunications. And like consumers, ISPs lose out. Locally owned and operated ISPs have been critical in enabling people and businesses make good use of the Internet. We have fought and will continue to fight the BOCs for delivery of services to our customers. We deliver a wider variety of Internet services, we delivery them more affordably, and we support them better than the BOCs ever could. We have played an important role in the development of the Internet; we believe we need to continue to play an important role in its future, if the public is to be best served. What we ask is a legislative and regulatory environment which promotes competition in all aspects of Internet service, especially in telecommunications facilities where competition is most needed.
Deregulation is often a good thing. But if you deregulate a monopoly, you create a bigger monopoly. Before throwing out the rule book, level the playing field and maintain the safeguards which foster competition. The Ohio Internet Service Provider Association urges Congress reject the 'Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act of 2001'. For further information, contact: Barry D. Hassler, President 937-427-9000 barry.hassler@hcst.com Ed Taylor, President Elect 740-695-2280 x3072 ed@1st.net |