It’s always uneasy when a new group of people in power take over, whether it’s at the local city council, Congress or the Federal Communications Commission. Certainly the people in the new position are more aware of that uncomfortableness than anyone. So while the new commission is under the microscope, it is usually a safe bet to provide as vague an answer as possible.
Having said that, I am intrigued by some of the new commissioners’ comments. There is wisdom.
Commissioner Michael Powell, in particular, brought up some good points about the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and those who want to tinker with it. Powell’s point, in a nut shell, is that it is too early to judge the act. He believes it will take two years before the effects of the new law are seen. Telecom deregulation is a tricky process, he noted.
“If we change the rules every four months, competition won’t come,” Powell said. “Companies need some level of comfort and expectation … If we’re not careful of how we manage the act, some companies may just give up on it.”
Likewise, Harold Furchtgott-Roth noted that competition is not a smooth, yellow-brick-road process. “Competition will come in fits and starts,” he said, noting that international barriers to telecommunications competition are breaking down. Isn’t that the very reason that telecommunications giants are choosing to align with each other as allowed under the telecom act, instead of warring for more turf in each other’s markets? Many feel they must compete globally to grab market share in the future.
I suspect Gloria Tristani will cause many a 4-1 vote at the commission. Why? Because she said she is committed to “making sure that all rural and remote areas are just as connected as urban areas, and that all minorities benefit from the information revolution.” Shades of former commissioner Andrew Barrett?
Lofty goals, no doubt, but having come from a rural area, it seems as if rural markets rarely have access to the same things as people do in urban areas, whether it’s the latest trend in fashion or new PCS services. (And that’s not always bad… especially in the case of fashion trends).
Rural people have different needs, so it is not always best to assume that those in rural areas will be cheated if they don’t have the same opportunities as urban dwellers. Talk to Arnold Pohs and the people at Rural Cellular Corp. to get the true skinny on what rural customers want from wireless service in the country.
