HOW DO YOU SPELL COMPETITION?
ICC Already Questioning SBC's Course (ChiTrib)
ICC Asks: Who Was that Masked Phone Giant? (ChiTrib)
Local Competition in Voice and Data Marketplaces (Senate)
The MCI WorldCom/Sprint Merger -- A Competition Review (Senate)
US Regulators Warn Long Distance Dial-Around Firms (SJM)
FCC-FTC Truth-in-Advertising Public Forum (FCC)
The FCC Racket (WSJ)
INTERNET/ONLINE SERVICES
Lawsuit Says AOL Shuts Out the Blind (CyberTimes)
Judges Raise Questions About Federal Anti-Pornography Law
(CyberTimes)
Ebay Raises Stakes in Auction Dispute (CyberTimes)
In Internet Time, a Year Is Much Too Long, Judge Finds (CyberTimes)
Internet Companies Set Policies to Help Protect Consumer Privacy
(NYT)
Internet Group Approves Domain Registration Rules (NYT)
TELEVISION
Congress Is Set To Approve Bill To Let Satellite Firms
Carry Broadcast Shows (WSJ)
ARTS
Electronic Arts Groups Get $50,000 Grants (CyberTimes)
INTERNATIONAL
China Sets New Telecom Rules; Government Approves Start-Ups (WSJ)
ANTITRUST
A Shareholder, and a Citizen (NYT)
HOW DO YOU SPELL COMPETITION?
ICC ALREADY QUESTIONING SBC'S COURSE
Issue: Mergers/Competition
Less than a month after the merger of SBC and Ameritech was closed, the
Illinois Commerce Commission is raising concerns that the conditions the
combined company agreed to are not being met. For example, SBC promised that
as soon as it took control of Ameritech, it would offer to lease network
facilities to competitors in Illinois on the same terms available in Texas.
At a hearing to discuss various proposals requesting a reconsideration of
the ICC's decision on the merger, ICC Chairman Richard Mathias said, "I'm
concerned about whether or not the Texas terms are now available in
Illinois." SBC said it would take the comments seriously.
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.1), AUTHOR: Jon Van]
(http://chicagotribune.com/business/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-99110503
02,FF.html)
ICC ASKS: WHO WAS THAT MASKED PHONE GIANT?
Issue: Mergers/Competition
Business columnist Greising chides the ICC for not making "the kiddies eat
their peas before they get dessert." ICC Chairman Mathias rolled over and
allowed the biggest phone merger ever and the result can be summed up as the
"Triple-D: delay, disagree, and downsize." At Thursday's meeting, SBC tried
to delay by asking to nearly double the deadline for giving competitors a
fair shot at Illinois customers, and dragging its feet on announcing lower
rates. SBC disagreed with Illinois regulators on their interpretation of
several more technical aspects of the deal. Downsizing has hardly hit yet,
but it will. Watch for SBC to announce significant downsizing here, in
addition to the several hundred layoffs already made. Maybe it is not fair
to blame SBC, Greising concludes: You don't blame a lion for hunting the
lamb. When a penny gets flattened on a railroad track, you don't blame the
train. Lions hunt. Trains railroad. Phone giants do a bit of both. Too bad
the ICC is just starting to see that now.
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.1), AUTHOR: David Greising
(DGreising( at )tribune.com)]
(http://chicagotribune.com/business/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-99110502
84,FF.html)
LOCAL COMPETITION IN VOICE AND DATA MARKETPLACE
Issue: Competition
Links to testimony at yesterday's hearing which examined how best to
increase consumer choice in local telephone markets. Bell companies were
criticized for blocking competition and failing to provide witnesses for the
hearing.
[SOURCE: US Senate]
(http://www.senate.gov/~commerce/hearings/hearings.htm)
THE MCI WORLDCOM/SPRINT MERGER -- A COMPETITION REVIEW
Issue: Mergers/Competition
Links to statements and testimony delivered in Senate Judiciary Committee
hearing yesterday on proposed MCI WorldCom $130 billion purchase of Sprint.
[SOURCE: US Senate]
(http://www.senate.gov/~judiciary/wl11499.htm)
US REGULATORS WARN LONG DISTANCE DIAL-AROUND FIRMS
Issue: Long-Distance/Competition
Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade
Commission said at a joint public forum that consumers are being bombarded
by a vast array of long-distance telephone choices and warned shoppers to
examine carefully the terms of popular 10-10, or dial-around, offerings. The
commissions believe that advertisements promising cheap calls for consumers
dialing with a 10-10 service may fail to mention additional fees or
otherwise mislead. Dial-around services, which allow a consumer to bypass
the long-distance carrier chosen for their phone line, have grown from a $96
million industry in 1993 to a $3 billion market in 1999. [Although you
couldn't guess that from the quality of their TV ads, could ya?] But that
growth has come with many complaints from consumers who say they were
shocked by hidden fees or misleading terms of service. The FCC received
almost 3,000 complaints between Jan. 1, 1998 and June 30, 1999. FTC Chairman
Robert Pitofsky said his agency could go after firms that ran false or
deceptive
advertising and FCC Chairman William Kennard said the agency could also take
enforcement action if necessary. The FCC established a Web site
(www.fcc.gov/marketsense/) containing tips and warnings for consumers
thinking of using dial-around services.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/reuters/docs/1048127l.htm)
FCC-FTC TRUTH-IN-ADVERTISING PUBLIC FORUM
Issue: Long Distance/Competition
Results of yesterday's joint FCC-FTC forum advertising and long distance
rates. See FCC Chairman Kennard's remarks
(http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Kennard/spwek937.html) and the Market