Verizon withdraws Massachusetts long-distance application

(Telephony) Verizon Communications today announced plans to withdraw and refile its long-distance application in Massachusetts, citing questions relating to competitors’ opportunity to comment on certain information in the filing.

The new application should be filed by second half of January. Even if it meets FCC approval, the decision to refile means Verizon may have to wait until spring 2001 or beyond for Section 271 approval in the state.

The information in question regards unbundled loops capable of providing DSL service.

According to Tom Tauke, Verizon’s senior vice president of external affairs and public policy, the FCC during its review requested extra information regarding the provisioning of DSL-capable unbundled loops, information on which competitors said they were not able to comment.

Tauke, however, said competitors had opportunity to comment on the information during the state PUC review and described the situation as “a Catch-22.”

“On the one hand, we are asked by staff and others to put additional information on the record, specifically information related to CLEC-specific data. When we do provide that information, however, then, of course, people can come in and say, ‘Well, we haven’t had a full opportunity in the course of the process to comment on that information.’”

Along with allowing interested parties to comment more fully, Verizon said it will include the most recent data regarding the provisioning of unbundled loops, as well as unbundled switching. This data further confirms the nondiscriminatory provisioning of loops, Tauke said.

“We believe our application meets every requirement for long-distance entry that is set out by the [1996 Telecom] Act,” he said.

But a statement from FCC Chairman William Kennard indicates that he may believe otherwise.

“The Commission’s primary and steadfast objective in evaluating Bell Operating Company long-distance applications is to ensure that new competitors have meaningful opportunities to compete in local markets. Verizon came close to meeting this standard in Massachusetts,” he said.

In his statement, Kennard said the carrier needed to address three issues: non-discriminatory provisioning of loops for advanced services; improved access to the systems and information needed to order these loops and; the pricing of elements used by competitors.

Ed Young, Verizon’s senior vice president of federal government relations, said the new application will contain information that proves the carrier meets FCC requirements in these areas. In addition, he said, Kennard’s statement that Verizon, “came close” to meeting guidelines applies only to the withdrawn application prior to Verizon submitting new information, not to actual competitive opportunities in the state.