Court Ruling Threatens Local Phone Competition in California

The DC Court of Appeals has ordered the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to scrap regulations that require monopoly phone companies to lease their networks to competitors at government-mandated prices. This ruling, if allowed to stand, could strip millions of consumers in California and across the nation of their choice in local phone service. The court also struck down regulations that gave state regulators authority to decide if the Bells must provide access to their local phone networks and set the price for that access.

Key Takeaways:

• The DC Court of Appeals has ordered the FCC to dump rules that force monopoly phone companies to lease their networks to competitors at government-mandated prices.
• The court also struck down regulations that gave state regulators authority to decide if the Bells must provide access to their local phone networks and set the price for that access.
• The ruling could strip hundreds of thousands of local phone customers in California of their choice in local phone service.
• Californians for Telecommunications Choice (CTC) urges the FCC to appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court to protect consumer choice and competition in local phone service.
• CTC is a non-profit, non-partisan consumer and business advocacy group committed to preserving and enhancing competition in telecommunications.
• The group believes that true competition in telecommunications will benefit all customers with competitive prices and advanced technology.

Statistics:

• Hundreds of thousands of local phone customers in California could see their choice in local phone service stripped away if the ruling is not appealed.
• Millions of consumers in California and across the nation could be affected by the ruling.

Sources:

• PRNewswire
• Californians for Telecommunications Choice (CTC)