BellSouth Responds to AT&T Petition for `Structural Separation'.Business Editors MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 21, 2001 The following statement is attributed to BellSouth
"AT&T filed a petition today seeking structural separation of BellSouth Telecommunications Communicating information, including data, text, pictures, voice and video over long distance. See communications. into wholesale and retail corporate subsidiaries. "The timing of this petition is interesting. Yesterday BellSouth filed its completed 3rd party testing in Georgia Georgia, country, Asia Georgia (jôr`jə), Georgian Sakartvelo, Rus. Gruziya, officially Republic of Georgia, republic (2005 est. pop. 4,677,000), c.26,900 sq mi (69,700 sq km), in W Transcaucasia. . This brings BellSouth one step closer to competing with AT&T in the long distance market throughout the southeast region. "AT&T is making proposals that were rejected by Congress in 1996. They are simply proposing to further handicap handicap In sports and games, a method of offsetting the varying abilities or characteristics of competitors in order to equalize their chances of winning. Handicapping takes many, often complicated, forms. BellSouth as it attempts to compete against AT&T and other companies in providing broadband broadband Term describing the radiation from a source that produces a broad, continuous spectrum of frequencies (contrasted with a laser, which produces a single frequency or very narrow range of frequencies). and long distance services. This fear of competition is causing AT&T to use the regulatory process to delay our entry into their markets. "BellSouth is committed to offering our retail and wholesale customers the same quality of service that has won us customer satisfaction awards over the year. "Our current structure is not deterring more than 160 Alternative Local Exchange Companies in Florida from competing and they have been successful. "There is strong competition in BellSouth markets throughout the state. Competitors in Florida have claimed more than 20% of the business customers. In certain areas of the state BellSouth's competitive losses in the business market exceed 30%. Competition in the residential market has been growing slower because the rates for local residential service have traditionally been set below cost. However, competition in that market is accelerating as well. "In addition, BellSouth is in the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of 3rd party testing in Florida where the company's Operating Support Systems are being analyzed an·a·lyze tr.v. an·a·lyzed, an·a·lyz·ing, an·a·lyz·es 1. To examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations. 2. Chemistry To make a chemical analysis of. 3. by what is considered to be among the most stringent testing standards in the country. That testing will be completed in the summer of this year and we expect it to show that the company has opened its markets to competition. Further regulation is unnecessary and wasteful. "It is time, if not long past time, for AT&T to stop complaining and start competing." |
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