MISC: good news,bad news

[Brian D Williams <talon57@well.sf.ca.us>]

 Well as they say first the good news...



INFORMATION SERVICES INDUSTRY WANTS RBOCs FREED The regional Bell
companies should be free to compete in long distance services,
cable television programming and equipment  manufacturing, a new
study of information services executives said. The study, released
today by The Marx Group of Wellesley, Mass.,  also said the
information industry will grow faster and better serve customers as
a result of increasing merger activity.  The survey was
commissioned by The Marx Group, an information services industry
consulting and law firm.  "This survey proves that a clear majority
of information services executives believe that our industry will
benefit from Bell company entry into these lines of business," Marx
Group chairman Peter Marx said.  Marx praised Monday's Supreme
Court action leaving in place the Bell companies' ability to offer
information services as "good news" for the information services
provider industry.  This survey demonstrates that the information
services business community looks forward to the capital and
technology, partnership opportunities and mass marketing
capabilities the Bell companies bring to the table." 
 
Information services companies rely heavily on long-distance  
services and are extremely concerned about long-distance rates, the
study pointed out.  Small businesses were especially emphatic in
their desire for the competitive pricing they expect to accompany
Bell entry into long distance service, the study said. 
 
The survey included telephone interviews with executives from more
than 300 information services companies.  Some of the results are: 
 
1.  72 percent favored Bell company participation in information  
services in their own territories, 21 percent unfavorable, 7
percent neutral; 
 
2.  66 percent favored Bell company entry into long distance, 21
percent unfavorable, 13 percent neutral; 
 
3.  69 percent favored allowing Bell company entry into cable TV,
15 percent unfavorable, 16 percent neutral; 
 
4.  67 percent favored Bell company participation in equipment
manufacturing, 13 percent unfavorable,  20 percent without opinion.

The Marx Group commissioned Arlen Communications, an industry  
research firm in Bethesda, Md., to conduct the survey. 
 
For more information, contact The Marx Group at (617) 576-5730 or 
Arlen Communications at (301) 656-7940. 
 
                              ###  
 


Now for the bad news....(bad idea!)



SLATTERY INTRODUCES BILL TO LIFT MFJ MANUFACTURING BAN Rep. Jim
Slattery (D-Kansas) Sunday introduced a bill (H.R. 3609) that would
lift the Modified Final Judgment (MFJ) restriction for Regional
Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs).Staffers in Slattery's office said
today the bill is virtually identical to H.R. 1527, which Slattery
introduced in the 102nd Congress, with additional provisions
concerning consumers with disabilities and joint network
planning.The "Telecommunications Equipment Research and
Manufacturing Competition Act of 1993" says that permitting the
RBOCs, through their affiliates, to manufacture telecommunications
equipment and customer premises equipment (CPE), universal access
to advanced telecommunications services, continued economic growth
and international competitiveness will be advanced.The bill would
all the design, development and fabrication of equipment, as well
as research with respect to such equipment.

The bill includes the following provisions:

-- The RBOCs could engage in manufacturing through separate 
affiliates;

-- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would prescribe 
regulations to ensure RBOC compliance;

-- A manufacturing subsidiary would be required to maintain 
separate books, records and accounts;

-- RBOCs could sell, advertise, install and maintain 
telecommunications equipment and CPE after acquiring the equipment 
from their affiliates;

-- Manufacturing affiliates would be required to conduct 
manufacturing within the United States; 

-- Manufacturing affiliates would be required to use component 
parts manufactured in the United States, with the following 
exception.  Affiliates could use components manufactured outside 
the U.S. if they first make "good faith" efforts" to obtain parts 
manufactured within the U.S. and if the foreign components do not 
exceed 40 percent of the sales revenue derived from the equipment;

-- Manufacturing affiliates would be allowed to use intellectual 
property created outside the U.S.;

-- Manufacturing affiliates would be required to make equipment 
available without discrimination to all regulated local telephone 
exchange carriers;

-- An RBOC and its manufacturing affiliates would be allowed to 
engage in close collaboration with any manufacturer during design 
and development of hardware or software;

-- The FCC would prescribe regulations necessary to ensure that
network services advances are accessible and usable by individuals 
whose access might be impeded by a disability or functional 
limitation, unless the costs would result in an undue burden or 
adverse competitive impact;

-- Each RBOC would be required to engage in joint network planning 
and design with other regulated local exchange carriers operating 
in the same area of interest, except no participant in such 
planning would be allowed to delay the introduction of new 
technology or the deployment of facilities to provide 
telecommunications services.

                              ### 


I particularly like the anti-NAFTA "All American" clause......



Brian Williams
Cypherpatriot
Extropian
"Free The RBOC'S"
"Nuke The Whales"