The Judiciary committee gained limited jurisdiction to consider the controversial bill that would free the Bells to offer broadband services beyond their local phone region without first opening their market to competition. Although the bill has bipartisan support, so does a competing bill introduced in the Judiciary committee last month that does not exempt the Bells from market-opening requirements, but in fact tightens them. The Broadband Competition and Incentive Act and the American Broadband and Competition Act, H.R. 1697 and 1698, taken together, also adds financial incentives to deploy the telcos' broadband technology, digital subscriber line, in under-served rural and other areas. Like everyone else, I want my constituents to get high-speed Internet access as soon as possible with as many competitive choices as possible. Critics say the Tauzin-Dingell bill will make it harder for new data and voice entrants and Internet service providers to compete with the regional Bells, who will find it easier to leverage their local monopolies against other players.
Time is of the essence.
Lucrative large business customers account for over half of competitors' 8 percent market share, the FCC said. Bill supporters say it will give Bells incentive to increase DSL investments to compete with cable companies, which have up to 75 percent of the broadband market. D.C. The telecom act also requires phone companies to open their networks to competitors for a fee. But McCleod said competitors don't really have equal access. McLeod's company finds error rates of up to 30 percent in fulfilling orders.