Verizon, Comcast execs slam regulation
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Top executives of Verizon and Comcast called for less regulation of communications at the Telecom '04 trade show .
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By Michael S Rosenwald, Washington Post Staff Writer  Verizon Communications Inc.
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Verizon Communications Inc. VZ.N  and Qwest Communications International Inc. Q.N asked a  federal appeals court Tuesday to block temporary rules by the  U.S. Federal Communications Commission forcing the companies to  lease phone lines to rivals for at least another six months.
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Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. wireless company, will expand its high-speed data service to 16 markets by the end of the year, the chairman of Verizon Communications Inc. said on Monday.
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The regulator for the UKâs communications industries today set out details of its approach to new voice services such as Internet Telephony.
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Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable television company, plans to challenge local phone companies by offering Internet-based phone service in 20 markets this year, company officials said.
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WASHINGTON -- Comcast Corp. , the nation's largest cable operator, would be effectively barred from buying any other large cable company under an ownership rule the Federal Communications Commission is considering.
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WASHINGTON - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday adopted new rules about what parts of incumbent telephone carrier networks must be shared with competitors, backtracking on an earlier decision forcing incumbents to share local switching facilities in the residential market.
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Internet telephone services on  Tuesday were insulated from many state regulations by U.S.  communications officials, a boon for upstart Vonage Holdings  Corp. and others aggressively pushing the new service.
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US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael Powell is calling for a hands-off regulatory approach to Voice over IP (VoIP) and has vowed to try to take regulatory control
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Asian regulators should think twice about followingÂ the U.S. lead on net neutrality, or risk undermining the economic incentive for Asian carriers to build and maintain faster networks, according to speakers at the CommunicAsia Summit in Singapore.
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BOSTON The United States&#39; top telecommunications regulator plans to protect fledgling Internet telephone services from being taxed and heavily regulated by the 50 state governments.
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Net phone company is pushing for rules that would let consumers decide which devices and software they use on cell phone networks.
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OCTOBER 12, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - SAN FRANCISCO -- Cable met telecommunications yesterday at the Telecom &#39;04 trade show in Las Vegas as the top executives of Verizon Communications Inc.
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It is unfair that DSL products deemed telecom services have been regulated much more tightly than the primary competition -- cable modems -- telcos have complained.
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(InfoWorld) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is taking the middle ground in the net neutrality debate that pits large telecommunications operators against Internet giants. In a report on its examination ofÂ the net neutrality issue, the FTC on Wednesday didn't urge lawmakers to either pass or kill neutrality legislation but instead recommended that policymakers proceed with caution. Net neutrality refers to the concept of an open Internet where all content is treated the same way. Net neutrality regulation, backed by companies such as Google and by World Wide Web pioneer Timothy Berners-Lee, would require telecommunications operators to keep their networks neutral. Operators, however, typically argue that such regulations would stifle innovation. Qwest Communications International and Verizon CommunicationsÂ interpreted the FTC statement as a victory. "The Federal Trade Commission report confirms that there is no problem to fix," said Tom Tauke, Verizon executive vice president for public affairs, policy and communications, in a statement. "Proposals to impose new regulation actually threaten further advancements in broadband Internet connections." Qwest issued a similar comment. "Qwest is pleased with the findings of the report released today by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that government regulation of the Internet is unnecessary because there is no evidence of market failure or consumer harm," said Gary Lytle, Qwest senior vice president of federal relations, in a statement. An organization on the other side of the fence, the Open Internet Coalition, was pleased to see that the FTC found that consumers have said they strongly prefer the current open access model. But the group warned that Congress and the Federal Communications Commission must act to protect the open Internet. If policymakers wait until operators begin treating traffic differently, it will be very difficult to return to the current open framework, the group said. The SavetheInternet.com Coalition took a similar stance. "This is not the time for caution, but rather forward-looking and decisive action reinstating Net Neutrality once and for all," said S. Derek Turner, research director of Free Press, an organization that is part of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, in a statement. The FTC said the broadband industry is moving toward more competition. Thus, in the absence of market failure, policy makers should be particularly careful in enacting new regulations. However, some organizations, including the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, argue that competition is weak, with most consumers having at most two operators to choose from. Recent consolidation, such as SBC's acquisition of AT&T, has shrunk the competitive market. In May, 54 organizations, including Amazon.com and Tivo,Â called for a national broadband policyÂ that includes net neutrality laws. Google's public policy blog, launched in late May, already includes several entries supporting net neutrality.
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Verizon announced Thursday it is digging up streets and stringing wire in six states, including Maryland and Virginia, to deliver high-speed Internet service and cable-style television to customers.