ALTS, CompTel join forces to promote local competition

The Association of Local Telecommunications Services (ALTS) and the Competitive Telecommunications Association (CompTel) have created a competition working group to “ensure that rules now being considered by the FCC are consistent with the Telecommunications Act of 1996,” according to a joint statement issued today.

The working group intends to lobby for “pro-competitive policies” as the commission considers its triennial review of unbundled network elements, the wireline broadband notice of proposed rulemaking that would define DSL services as information services rather than as a telecommunications service, and non-dominant status for incumbent carriers that provide broadband telecommunications services.

In addition to ALTS and CompTel, the working group includes AT&T, Broadview Networks, Covad Communications, e.spire Communications, Metromedia Fiber Networks, NuVox Communications, Progress Telecom, Sage Telecom, Talk.com, Time Warner Telecom, WorldCom and Z-Tel Communications.

The two organizations joined forces because they discovered they had more similarities than differences, said John Windhausen, Jr., ALTS president, who spoke at a press conference today announcing the working group.

“We are 90% in agreement on the issues, and we aren’t going to let the other 10% get in the way [of what needs to be accomplished],” he said. “The entire future of competitive carriers is at risk.”

—Glenn Bischoff, senior news writer