[Fwd: Updated: Tonight, a Dramatic Conclusion for the AT&T/BellSouth Telenovella! - Harold Feld's Tales of the Sausage Factory]

[Stephen Ronan]

fyi -S.R.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Updated: Tonight, a Dramatic Conclusion for the AT&T/BellSouth 
Telenovella! - Harold Feld's Tales of the Sausage Factory
Date: 	29 Dec 2006 04:08:03 -0000
From: 	webmaster at wetmachine.com
To: 	webmaster at wetmachine.com



      Tonight, a Dramatic Conclusion for the AT&T/BellSouth Telenovella!

In the dramatic penultimate episode of the telecom world's favorite 
Telenovella /Death Star Reborn: The AT&T-BellSouth Merger/, the forces 
of Network Neutrality and competition win a dramatic victory!

AT&T has submitted a new 20-page letter outlining the conditions it will 
accept for the merger. 
<http://www.fcc.gov/ATT_FINALMergerCommitments12-28.pdf> Unlike the 
previous concessions in October 
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-267905A1.pdf>, 
which amounted to little more than a joke and a promotional offer, this 
set of conditions is quite thorough. The breadth and scope of the 
conditions leaves me positively breatheless. To mangle Arlo Gutherie for 
a moment:
You shall be neutral, in all your networks
 >From the first tier backbone, to the retail last mile,
from special access, to the U-N-Es
You shall not leverage market power!

I need a couple of different posts to really cover the implications. But 
here are the headlines:

1) Network neutrality is required in its fullest form. AT&T cannot 
prioritize or degrade service based on third party payments or 
affiliation anywhere between the peering point and the residential “last 
mile.” So not only has the definition of network neutrality been 
solidified consistent with that advocated by Save Our Internet and 
others, but it has been extended from the last mile to the vertically 
integrated backbone.

2) Residential fixed WiMax is included in the definition of “last mile.” 
This is the first time net neutrality has ever been applied to a 
wireless network.

3) AT&T must divest the 2.5 GHz spectrum it would acquire from 
BellSouth. This addresses a concern raised by Media Access Project and 
others that AT&T/BS would have an overwhelming spectrum advanatage 
against other wireless players.

4) AT&T has an agressive build out schedule to provide DSL at 768 KBPS 
for $19.95/month throughout its coverage area.

5) AT&T agrees to numerous conditions that amount to a return to tariffs 
and price caps for telecom and DSL resellers and special access 
(commercial) customers. AT&T can no longer lock competing local exchange 
carriers (CLECs) or DSL resellers in non-disclosure agreements.

Bonus: AT&T agrees to “repatriate” 3,000 jobs BellSouth had shipped 
overseas and locate at least five hundred of these “repatriated” jobs in 
New Orleans.

In tomorrow's concluding episode, expect the FCC to release the final 
Order on Friday December 29 and the deal to close immediately thereafter.

Roll credits. Special thanks to Commissioners Copps and Adelstein, for 
their amazing tenacity and skill. Free Press, Consumers Union, CFA, and 
the rest of the public interest community that fought like Hell. The 
tens of thousands of people who filled comments. And Commissioner Robert 
McDowell, for his amazing act of ethical fortitude. 
<http://www.wetmachine.com/totsf/item/670>

Stay tuned . . . .

URL: http://www.wetmachine.com//item/681