News from the Oklahoma Corporation
Commission
Phone: (405)
521-4180, FAX: (405) 521-6945 m.skinner@occemail.com
January 12,
2005
Commission approves new
telecommunications rules with eye toward providing greater consumer choice
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“When I first
came to the Commission 16 years ago, there was only monopoly local telephone
service,” noted Anthony. “A few years ago, the Commission developed what became
known as ‘alternative regulation,’ based on the Commission’s desire for
consumers to have a choice when it came to telecommunications services, choice
that could only exist if there was true competition in the marketplace. Since
that was put into place, we have seen positive changes in the marketplace. The
rules changes approved today continue our effort to
bring regulatory parity in order to foster further growth in the market, and
thus, greater consumer choice.
“However, this
is only an interim step,” Anthony continued. “The Commission should move
forward with the Legislature’s request to conduct a careful study of the state
of telecommunications competition in Oklahoma, and based on that study and the
inevitable technological changes that will occur, take whatever actions are
necessary to further competition and consumer choice.”
Commission
Vice-Chairman Jeff Cloud said the new rules package represents a sincere effort
on the part of all the parties concerned.
“It’s an
overused phrase, but to ‘level the playing field’ is exactly what this
rulemaking was all about,” said Cloud. “There is no doubt that it has been a
successful effort, made possible by the hard work of Commission staff and the
willingness of most the parties involved to craft a compromise solution. We
anticipate there will be a greater variety of so-called ‘bundles’, or packages
of services, offered to both business and residential customers as a result of
these rules.
(MORE)
(RULES, pg. 2)
“However, I
agree with Chairman Anthony that this is only an ‘interim step.’ The Commission
may vote this Friday on a procedural schedule for a Commission study on
telecommunications competition in
Corporation
Commissioner Denise Bode called the new rules “another step in the right
direction.”
“Almost five
years ago, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission began working with the state’s
telecommunications industry to streamline the regulatory process,” said Bode.
“Our goal was to remove barriers that may prevent Oklahomans from tapping into
the gold mine by the technological leaps in telecommunications. Today we
continued down that path, by allowing packages of telecommunication services
and business services to be more competitively priced, and by eliminating red
tape and streamlining the process.
“In addition,
these rules require that low-income Oklahomans who are part of the Lifeline
program be offered unlimited local cellular phone service in areas where
cellular companies are required to offer service in order to obtain federal
universal service funds.
“We must
continue to lead surrounding states in the area of telecommunications
technology,” continued Bode. “The key is to continue to put in place regulatory
changes that will encourage even greater investment in better and faster
technology, while still protecting access for all Oklahomans.”
The new rules
must be approved by the
**For more information on the Lifeline program, go
to http://www.occ.state.ok.us/MISC/LIFELINE.htm
***The new telecommunications rules will be posted
at www.occeweb.com
-occ-
(All OCC advisories and news
releases are available at the Commission web site www.occeweb.com)