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Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (4047)	6/6/1999 9:39:00 AM
From: MikeM54321	Respond to of 12823

Re: AT&T / Portland Decision Ken, FWIW, I have to say I agree with all you have posted concerning this matter. Gee I always thought that AOL had the same right to risk their entire company's future to offer broadband to consumers? They have a very powerful currency (stock) to do what AT&T did, yet they backed out when they had their chance. If Armstrong is willing to risk billions on a paradigm-like attack on the local carriers, well isn't that exactly what the 1996 Telecom Act's original, "PURPOSE," was? I think if the consumers in Portland could understand how the decision of their local leaders to sue AT&T, has HURT their chances of creating competition, then this challenge would go away. Sadly this issue is just too confusing for the average voter to understand. The 1996 Telecom Act is just another federal plan that started out with very good intentions, but inadvertantly had opposite results. Like I have stated before, the best thing the act did, was create enemies(competition) between CLECs, ISPs, ILECs, MSOs, and LD carriers. Now that AT&T has stepped up to the plate and put their money where their mouth is, the FCC says more power to you. But the 1996 Telecom Act still comes back to a haunt as AOL (and others) have found a way to attack broadband expenditures via LOCAL government. Ironically the same problem AT&T faces with their decision to spend hundreds of millions in Portland, the ILECs also face. It's time to get rid of the 1996 Telecom provision that says, "If you build it, you share it." It's really only serving to hurt consumers now that HFC and DSL technologies exist. IMHO, 1996 is ancient history in the cyberworld and the rules need to be changed. MikeM(From Florida)