WASHINGTON, July 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Five U.S. network
infrastructure providers today announced they were combining their
efforts to preserve critical network infrastructure and competition
in the business broadband market.
The companies, who together operate data and fiber transport
networks in all 50 states, provide dedicated connections, or
"special access," to competitors who need to reach fiber networks
to market competing telecom services. Substantial and ongoing
investments in these services are what connect businesses, homes,
cell towers for wireless traffic, and data services for millions of
users. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has
recently proposed sweeping and questionable new regulations on the
special access market and incumbent providers.
The "Invest in Broadband for America" coalition
(investinbroadband.org) is made up of CenturyLink,
Inc. (NYSE: CTL), Cincinnati Bell, Inc. (NYSE: CBB),
Consolidated Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSL), FairPoint
Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRP) and Frontier Communications
(NASDAQ: FTR).
The same companies were joined last month by AT&T Inc.
(NYSE: T) in filing a motion to strike the "irretrievably
flawed" data framework underlying the FCC's recent business
broadband services proposal. According to the motion, the
record shows that several major cable providers did not clearly or
fully report that they were able to provide at least 22 times more
business data services using metro Ethernet than were reflected by
the original data in 2013.
"First and foremost, it is crucial that the FCC get the data
right on competition in the marketplace before flying blindly into
a major policy decision," said John
Jones, CenturyLink Senior Vice President, Policy and
Government Relations. "Important decisions are best made with
accurate data. What is at stake here is the definition of
'competition.' That definition will have a substantial impact
on the telecom and national economy for years to come. Think
investment, suppliers, employees, infrastructure and
contractors."
According to Kathleen Quinn
Abernathy, Frontier Senior Vice President, External Affairs,
"It appears much of the FCC's plan for new regulation of broadband
services is for the purpose of subsidizing undefined 5G technology
for the wireless industry. This is the same wireless industry
that increasingly relies on our robust fiber build-out to move data
traffic from smartphones to the public network and has as much as
10 times the earnings of the wireline industry. Without investment
into the backhaul infrastructure by the wireline industry, the
future of 5G technology could be rendered useless."
The coalition partners are particularly concerned about the
potential of unintended consequences for rural and other
underserved communities if the FCC's proposal is passed.
"The underserved rural markets are already trailing large urban
areas in investment and higher speeds. This order does
nothing to further additional investment, much less competition, in
those markets. Under the FCC's proposal, productivity factors
and picking winners and losers with questionable data would make
rural markets poor candidates for investments that would enable 5G
technology," said Michael T.
Skrivan, FairPoint Vice President, Regulatory. "We are
concerned the FCC's rush to regulate would harm the country's most
vulnerable consumers."
About CenturyLink
CenturyLink (NYSE:
CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud and IT
services company enabling millions of customers to transform their
businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions.
CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, big data
analytics and IT consulting, and operates more than 55 data centers
in North America, Europe and Asia. The company
provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services over a
robust 250,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a
300,000-route-mile international transport network. Visit
www.centurylink.com for more information.
About Cincinnati Bell Inc.
With headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Bell
Inc. (NYSE:CBB) provides integrated communications solutions –
including local and long distance voice, data, high-speed Internet
and video – that keep residential and business customers
in Greater Cincinnati and Dayton connected with each
other and with the world. In addition, enterprise customers
across the United States rely on CBTS, a wholly-owned
subsidiary, for efficient, scalable office communications systems
and end-to-end IT solutions. For more information, please visit
www.cincinnatibell.com.
About Consolidated Communications
Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ:CNSL) provides business and
broadband communications services across its 11-state service area
to carrier, commercial and consumer customers. For more than a
century, the Company has consistently provided innovative,
reliable, high-quality products and services. Consolidated
Communications offers a wide range of communications solutions
including: High-Speed Internet, Data, Digital TV, Phone, managed
and cloud services and wireless backhaul over an extensive fiber
optic network. Learn more about Consolidated Communications
at www.consolidated.com.
About FairPoint Communications, Inc.
FairPoint
Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: FRP) provides advanced data, voice
and video technologies to single and multi-site businesses, public
and private institutions, consumers, wireless companies and
wholesale re-sellers in 17 states. Leveraging an owned, fiber-based
Ethernet network — with more than 21,000 route miles of fiber,
including approximately 17,000 route miles of fiber in northern New
England — FairPoint has the network coverage, scalable bandwidth
and transport capacity to support enhanced applications, including
the next generation of mobile and cloud-based communications, such
as small cell wireless backhaul technology, voice over IP, data
center colocation services, managed services and disaster recovery.
For more information, visit www.FairPoint.com.
About Frontier Communications
Frontier
Communications Corporation is a leader in providing
communications services to urban, suburban, and rural communities
in 29 states. Frontier offers a variety of services to residential
customers over its fiber-optic and copper networks,
including video, high-speed internet, advanced
voice, and Frontier Secure digital protection
solutions. Frontier Business Edge offers communications
solutions to small, medium, and enterprise businesses. Frontier's
approximately 29,000 employees are based entirely in the
United States. More information
about Frontier is available at www.frontier.com.
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SOURCE Invest in Broadband for America