Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: jackson@ttidca.tti.com (Dick Jackson) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: LEC Monopoly and Cable TV Message-ID: Date: 4 Aug 89 18:31:48 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Reply-To: Dick Jackson Organization: Citicorp/TTI, Santa Monica Lines: 30 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 275, message 2 of 12 Is anyone else in this group interested in the *future* of the telephone system? There are lots of topics that might be discussed, but just to test the waters let me try just one -- the continued monopoly of the LECs for basic plant and services. Its clear that the LECs really want to make a pile of money out of providing enhanced services but are not really willing to do what the FCC and the other players want in order to ensure fair competition. An example of the LEC's bid for more revenue is their request to be allowed to operate cable TV, i.e. to deliver entertainment to the home. In my, opinion to permit this at the present time would be ludicrous given the operating companies non-clean record on cross subsidies and trampling on smaller companies they perceive as competitors. HOWEVER, and this is the point I would like to see discussed, it seems to me fine to allow the local carriers to deliver cable TV as long as the CATV companies are allowed to offer dial tone. Is this feasible? I guess, for a start that the cable systems would have to be re-engineered, probably with fiber, and there might not be enough money in the (phone) business to make it a good investment. But it is going to take something extraordinary to get fiber into homes, since telephone service alone can't justify it. Dick Jackson [Moderator's Note: I am not quite clear on your use of the abbreviation 'LEC'. Would you explain the abbreviation, please? But to provide one opinion to your question, I think the telcos should stay in the phone business and out of the cable TV business. Let's see what others here think. PT]