Fergie's Tech Blog

FCC to probe DSL regulations

Via Red Herring.

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the cable operators’ right to bar competitors from their lines, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is taking up the obvious question of whether the same rules should apply to telephone companies that sell DSL service.

Telephone companies are required by law to open up their Internet connection lines, or DSL lines, to competitors, but they've complained about the unfairness of being saddled with the sharing requirement while the courts absolve the cable operators of the same burden.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that cable operators don't have to open their lines to competitors. The court upheld an FCC finding that broadband Internet service is an information service and, therefore, isn't subject to the sharing requirements within the Telecommunications Act.

After Monday's ruling, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin promised to examine the agency’s legal options in leveling the playing field. But it is unclear what the FCC, a quasi-judicial agency, can do to correct the obvious imbalance.

posted by Fergie @ 6/29/2005 08:47:00 AM