Washington, DC, May 24, 1999 - The FCC should condition
approval of the proposed AT&T-MediaOne merger on open access by
competitors to cable systems used for high-speed Internet access
services, MCI WorldCom Chief Policy Counsel Jonathan B. Sallet told the
Commission today. Speaking at an FCC meeting on broadband competition,
Sallet stressed the importance of consumer choice and flexibility in
Internet access.
"We believe open access to the nation's cable systems will
guarantee that consumers can use the Internet any way they choose and
that this should be a prerequisite for government approval of the
AT&T-Media One merger," Sallet said. "The FCC has the
power here to protect consumers -- It should use it."
Sallet was one of eight witnesses at the meeting, which was designed
to monitor the deployment of advanced technologies, including cable
Internet services, and consumer access to those technologies. Other
witnesses included representatives of America Online, AT&T, the
Commercial Internet Exchange, EDventure Holdings, Bell Atlantic, and
Cox Communications.
MCI WorldCom is also a member of the OpenNET Coalition. The
coalition, whose members believe that rapid Internet growth has been
fueled by its open nature, was formed to protect the continued vibrancy
of this new medium.
Last week FCC Chairman William E. Kennard said that he believed that
the FCC had the power to regulate Internet access that cable companies
provide. "We appreciate the FCC's efforts to hold these
briefings for the goal of continued open competition on the
Internet." said Sallet.
MCI WorldCom is a global leader in communications services with 1998
revenues of more than $30 billion and established operations in over 65
countries encompassing the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific
regions. MCI WorldCom is a premier provider of facilities-based and
fully integrated local, long distance, international and Internet
services. MCI WorldCom's global networks, including its
state-of-the-art pan-European network and transoceanic cable systems,
provide end-to-end high-capacity connectivity to more than 40,000
buildings worldwide. MCI WorldCom is traded on NASDAQ under WCOM. For
more information on MCI WorldCom, visit the World Wide Web at
http://www.wcom.com.
