[IP] VERIZON CONCESSIONS TIP BALANCE IN FAVOR OF PA BROADBAND LAW
Begin forwarded message:
From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 2, 2004 11:54:27 AM EST
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] VERIZON CONCESSIONS TIP BALANCE IN FAVOR OF PA
BROADBAND LAW
Reply-To: dewayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
VERIZON CONCESSIONS TIP BALANCE IN FAVOR OF PA BROADBAND LAW
There's plenty of bad things in the legislation, but will anything good
come from the bill signed by Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell (D)
that
restricts municipal broadband networks? Possibly. 1) To protect
affordable
phone service for low-income households, the law requires incumbents to
automatically notify residents who apply for state public assistance
that
they are eligible for an $8 discount on monthly phone bills and up to
$100
toward installation charges. The bill also allows these low income
subscribers to buy services such as caller ID or call waiting.
Previously,
these customers weren't allowed to have these services, and this
restriction was considered a significant impediment to Lifeline
enrollment.
2) The bill requires Verizon and other incumbents to provide broadband
service to K-12 schools at 30% off the market rate or, if it's less, the
actual incremental cost of providing service to the buildings. 3) It
also
established a $10 million education technology fund to help schools pay
for
the equipment needed to take advantage of their broadband connections.
4)
Verizon promised to sell broadband equipment to schools at a discounted
price equal to cost plus 5%. And it agreed to sell its managed network
services to schools at a 20% discount from list. Rendell said the law's
discounts and Verizon's commitments would represent at least $350
million
in broadband savings to schools the next 10 years. 5) The law also sets
up
a process by which the state Dept. of Community & Economic Development
(DCED) can designate specific rural communities to go to the head of the
deployment queue to serve local economic development projects. Under
this
provision, incumbents must provide broadband service to DCED-designated
communities within 12 months of the request from that agency. 5) Verizon
promised Gov Rendell that, regardless of what the federal jurisdiction
may
do with regard to unbundling, it will continue to offer unbundled
services
to competitors up to 40% off list.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Herb Kirchhoff, Susan Polyakova]
Archives at: <http://Wireless.Com/Dewayne-Net>
Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com>
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