Tauke: Big Telecom Bill Unlikely in 2007-08

TAUKE: BIG TELECOM BILL UNLIKELY IN 2007-08
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
"I frankly think it is unlikely that there will be a telecom act. There may be some narrower measures that move through, but I don't see the dynamics in place for a comprehensive telecom bill," Verizon executive vice president of public affairs, policy and communications Tom Tauke said on a panel at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Verizon, he said, was in a better position today than one year ago, when it was pursuing a telecommunications bill, because several states had enacted statewide cable franchising and the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules giving local cable regulators just 90 days to act on Verizon's cable-entry applications. "There is no compelling issue, no compelling need for a communications reform," he added. Amazon.com VP of global public policy Paul Misener disagreed, predicting that a bill would pass with Internet-nondiscrimination provisions as the centerpiece of the legislation.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6406011.html?display=Breaking+News