The Supreme Court declined to hear appeals by three Baby Bells challenging the 1996 telecom
act’s requirement that local competition precede Baby Bell entry into the long-distance market. “This decision
confirms the logic of the telecom act: that competition breeds competition. The companies should stop litigating
and give Americans what they want, choice,” stated William Kennard, chairman of the Federal Communications
Commission.
A coalition of state and national consumer groups announced their opposition to the proposed $62
billion merger between SBC Communications Inc. and Ameritech Corp. The deal, under review by the FCC and the
Justice Department, would force Ameritech to sell some wireless properties.
As reported last week in RCR, the FCC
announced James Schlicting will become deputy chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Diane Cornell
will serve as associate bureau chief. Schlicting most recently was deputy chief of the FCC’s Common Carrier Bureau
and Cornell headed telecom policy in the International Bureau. The two regulators were recruited by Thomas Sugrue,
who took over as bureau chief on Wednesday. Jeanine Poltronieri was named senior WTB legal counsel, surrendering
her associate bureau title to Cornell. Rosalind Allen, who lost her WTB deputy chief post in the shakeup, will head a
newly created position of director of legal analysis in the FCC’s Office of Plans and Policy.
The Federal
Communications Commission last week accepted comments on its definitions of “small business” and
“very small business” in the rules for the auctions of spectrum for the Wireless Communications Service
and the Location and Monitoring Service. Small businesses and very small businesses receive bidding credits of 25
percent and 35 percent respectively.
