Telco giant BellSouth was awarded ruling by the FCC, which stated the company was not required to offer stand alone DSL subscription packages, meaning BellSouth can require customers to accept the company’s landline service when offering DSL.
endgadget offers this explanation:
Apparently they (BellSouth) didn’t like that state regulators in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and Louisiana had been forcing them to let subscribers sign up for DSL without signing up for a landline). Hey, the phone companies can do whatever they want (Qwest willingly offers naked DSL and Verizon says they’re planning to do the same later this year), but there are plenty of people these days who just want broadband and a cellphone and don’t see the need to pay an extra $20-$50 a month for a landline.
Naturally, BellSouth was quite pleased with the FCC’s ruling, and made their feelings known in a release, which says:
This FCC order continues progress on clearing out regulatory underbrush that handicaps rolling out broadband. By affirming a single national policy in this area, this FCC action will increase the speed and efficiency of bringing to consumers new and innovative broadband service offerings over wireline networks. This order is an important step in achieving the President’s goal of increased broadband deployment.
This action reaffirms the FCC’s triennial review decision that the FCC, not state regulators, decides what network elements must be unbundled.
However, if the Supreme Court overturns the recent FCC decision about cable modem Internet service providers and the sharing of their networks, it’s plausible this ruling will be challenged. But, unlike the cable modem scenario, it’s doubtful the opposition would come from competing ISPs.
It would probably be in the hands of DSL customers or an advocate group to challenge the FCC.
Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest search news.
