If ALTS approves, it must have teeth:
March 18, 1999 13:21
ALTS Praises FCC Collocation Decision; FCC Opts for ALTS Position on Cageless Collocation and 'Walkthroughs'
WASHINGTON, March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association for Local Telecommunications Services (ALTS), the leading national organization representing facilities-based competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), today praised an FCC Order which allows competitors to use "cageless" collocation vs. more costly physical collocation methods, and which assures "walkthrough" inspections of incumbents' telephone central offices.
Both moves are seen as victories for the CLECs, significantly reducing the new competitors' costs and providing a means to assure that incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) comply with collocation requirements. For example, ILECs have more often than not claimed that they have no space to collocate CLECs, when in fact space exists. Walkthrough inspections will determine the validity of ILECs' claims regarding space availability.
"The FCC's decision is a major victory for the CLECs, who have now a more cost-effective means to collocate, plus the guarantee that the ILECs will be closely monitored on collocation," said John Windhausen, Jr., ALTS President. "ALTS has taken the lead in fighting for fair treatment of competitors on this vital issue. As the final details of the Order become available, ALTS is confident that the Commission will be seen as granting many -- if not all -- of the provisions outlined in our collocation petition."
ALTS is the leading national industry association whose mission is to promote facilities-based local telecommunications competition. Located in Washington, D.C., the organization was created in 1987 and represents companies that build, own, and operate competitive local networks. For information on ALTS, contact Jim Crawford at 703-715-0844 or visit the ALTS Web site at www.alts.org.
SOURCE Association for Local Telecommunications Services
/CONTACT: Jim Crawford, 703-715-0844 or crawfordpr@aol.com, for ALTS
|
