Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : AT&T -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: lml who wrote (2646)	7/15/1999 5:18:00 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4298

lml, While reading your post I could not help draw a parallel to the OSI Reference Model, or the OSI-RM, made up of seven layers. Re: Cable TV Franchises and Services: The franchise issues are physical ones for the most part, at Layer One. At the top of the stack at Layer 7, you have the Application Layer, which historically had been made up of program grade cable TV delivery which was always assumed to be the solely issue which was germane to the cable TV franchise terms. Now you add a local LEC function and an interstate long distance service using switched services to the mix of cable TV offerings. Later on, the switched voice somehow becomes a VoIP service once they get their VoIP and IP telephony back office platforms up to speed. In order to reach the preceding phase of VoIP, we must first assume that the cable operator is already offering Internet services, which itself (Internet access) at times is deemed to be LD, and at other times, not. This issue alone is cause for many attendant points of confusion where reciprocating compensation for the CLECs is involved, responsible for pitting some 20 or 30 states now against the FCC in individual PUC level decision reversals. (I lost track of the actual number of states, and where this issue stands at this time.) Once switched voice services come into play they will be regulated by both the individual state PUCs and the FCC, depending on the usage of the service during any particular call session, because that's what those two bodies do. This, despite the fact that the local franchise was granted by the county, or township, or whomever, initially for program grade cable TV services, and not for voice and Internet services. Then the switched voice service miraculously goes through a metamorphosis, at some point in time, and becomes VoIP which is NOT being regulated under the same rules that regulate regular LD at this time... It sounds to me like the appellate courts had better staff up, but quick. They're going to have some real work on their hands created by reasonable confusion & ambiguous interpretation of statutory law based upon a set of facts not contemplated when the law was drafted, going forward. I do appreciate your expertise in these matters, bringing them into better focus for us all (at least where I am concerned), lml, Thanks. Frank Coluccio