Re: [GIO] STOP ALL STIMULUS MONIES TO VERIZON AND AT&T FOR BROADBAND--THEY CO...

[DSS...@aol.com]

Chuck:

 

How is Teletruth proposing to get these matters heard and attended to?

 

Don Samuelson

 

In a message dated 2/18/2009 2:36:41 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, Chuck.S...@verizon.net writes:

Teletruth News Alert -- 2/19/09

STOP ALL STIMULUS MONIES TO VERIZON AND AT&T FOR BROADBAND -- THEY COMMITTED
FRAUD AND NEED TO BE IMMEDIATELY INVESTIGATED.

Both AT&T and Verizon have essentially gamed the regulatory system and have
lied about broadband deployments as a method of having their mergers go
through. Both Verizon and AT&T made statements that they would be deploying
DSL as a stand alone product. Or, in the case of AT&T, 100% of their 22
states should have been given a $10. option for broadband.  Both companies
lied and no money should be given to these companies until an entire audit
is done of the locations that were not served and the services that were
never offered for sale.

AT&T:

In the AT&T-BellSouth Merger, AT&T claimed it would roll out to 100% of
their market (22 states) a $10. DSL service that was supposed to be capable
of at least 200K.  They never rolled it out. It was never sold with vigor,
if it was deployed, and the company lied.

Here?s the commitment

1 . By December 31, 2007, AT&T/BellSouth will offer broadband Internet
access service (i.e., Internet access service at speeds in excess of 200
kbps in at least one direction) to 100 percent of the residential living
units in the AT&TBellSouth in-region territory.  To meet this commitment,
AT&T/BellSouth will offer broadband Internet access services to at least 85
percent of such living units using wireline technologies (the "Wireline
Buildout Area").
AT&T/BellSouth will make available broadband Internet access service to the
remaining living units using alternative technologies and operating
arrangements, including but not limited to satellite and Wi-Max fixed
wireless technologies . AT&TBellSouth further commits that at least
30 percent of the incremental deployment after the Merger Closing Date
necessary to achieve the Wireline Buildout Area commitment wi11 be to rural
areas or low income living units.  2. AT&T/BellSouth will, provide an ADSL
modem without charge (except for shipping and handling) to residential
subscribers within the Wireline Buildout Area who, between July 1,'
2007, and June 30, 2008, replace their AT&T/BellSouth dial-up Internet
access service with AT&T/BellSouth's ADSL service and elect a term plan for
their ADSL service of twelve months or greater.

3. Within six months of the Merger Closing Date, and continuing for at least
30 months from the inception of the offer, AT&T/BellSouth will offer to
retail consumers in the Wireline Buildout Area, who have not previously
subscribed to AT&T's or BellSouth's ADSL service, a broadband Internet
access service at a speed of up to 768 Kbps at a monthly rate (exclusive of
any applicable taxes and regulatory fees) of $ 10 per month.

Definition ?
1 AT&TBellSouth refers to AT&T Inc., BellSouth Corporation, and their
affiliates that provide domestic wireline or Wi-Max fixed wireless services
2 As used herein, the "AT&TBellSouth in-region territory" means the areas in
which an AT&T or BellSouth operating company is the incumbent local exchange
carrier, as defined in 47 U.S.C. ? 251(h)(1)(A) and (B)(i) . "AT&T in-region
territory" means the area in which an AT&T operating company is the
incumbent local exchange carrier, as defined in 47 U.S.C. ? 251(h)(1)(A) and
(B)(i), and "BellSouth in-region territory" means the area in which a
BellSouth operating company is the incumbent local exchange carrier, as
defined in 47 U.S.C. ? 251(h)(1)(A) and (B)(i) .

======
Verizon pulled the same trick with stand alone DSL ? from the Verizon-MCI
merger

ADSL Service
1. Within twelve months of the Merger Closing Date, Verizon will deploy and
offer stand-alone ADSL within the local service areas of Verizon?s incumbent
local telephone companies. Standalone ADSL means ADSL service on
ADSL-equipped lines without requiring customers to also purchase circuit
switched voice grade telephone service. This service will be available both
for
existing Verizon voice and ADSL customers who wish to port their voice
service to a VoIP provider or to another facilities-based provider such as
cable or wireless, and for new customers who wish to subscribe only to
Verizon's ADSL and not to its voice service. This service will
remain available in a given state for two years after the ?implementation
date? in that state. For purposes of this condition, the ?implementation
date? for a state shall be the date that Verizon can offer this service on
eighty percent of Verizon?s ADSL- equipped lines in Verizon's local service
area in that state. Within twenty days after meeting the implementation date
in a state, Verizon/MCI will file a letter with the Commission certifying to
that effect. In any event, this commitment will terminate no later than
three years from the Merger Closing Date. ---

Applications for Approval of Transfer of Control WC Docket No. 05-75
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER, Adopted: October 31, 2005 Released: November
17, 2005

Verizon doesn?t offer stand alone DSL -- if it does, why is it not listed as
an option on their site?
http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/HighSpeedInternet/Plans/Plans.htm

The MCI-Verizon merger was passed based on these commitments (notice the
word ?voluntary??meaning ? we were just kidding.)

?Finally, we note that the Applicants have offered certain voluntary
commitments. Because we find these commitments will serve the public
interest, we accept them and adopt them as conditions of our approval of the
merger.?


It?s now clear that the companies knew they wouldn?t have to do anything.
They can make statements that are worthless, and we suspect that they knew
in advance that no one would hold them accountable ? so they just lied.

How many states were impacted? ? 90% of US households by 2 companies. When
we hear that there are 'unserved' or 'not served' areas with broadband.
Again, poppycock --- no one has taken a map of the US and compared it to the
rural and suburban and even urban areas that were supposed to be offered
these services by Verizon and AT&T.

Whole rural areas of states that are controlled by AT&T or Verizon that are
not being served should be immediately investigated --- BEFORE THESE
COMPANIES GET ANY MONEY FROM THE STIMULUS PACKAGES! 

And this ability to simply lie about merger commitments is not new.  In the
SBC(AT&T)-Ameritech merger, AT&T claimed it would compete in 30 cities
outside its regions with every other Bell company -- AT&T Lied. They never
competed. The companies knew that they would never be held accountable as
the regulators are simply asleep.

SBC-Ameritech Failed To Complete Merger Conditions:
http://www.teletruth.org/TakeAction/Breakupsbcameritech/liarliar.htm

IN fact, they were supposed to pay fines up to $1.6 billion for their
failure --- they never got fined for failure to compete.

The Punchline -- Verizon today claimed that it would be rolling out a a plan
to offer cheap local with DSL --- what garbage. "available to high-speed web
customers?" Who are they? 3 people? 

"Verizon Communications has confirmed that it is considering a new plan that
would allow its wireline customers to receive calls, but make outbound calls
only to 911 and Verizon customer service ... for just $5 each month. If
Verizon decides to go ahead with such a plan, the deal would be available
only to Verizon high-speed Web customers. "We're merely considering a wide
range of offers," said company spokesman William Kula. "We will continue to
compete very aggressively against the cable companies as well as the voice
over the Internet companies," he said. Reuters (2/17) , The Wall Street
Journal (subscription required) (2/17)

If you can't get stand alone DSL today, this is just more noise so no one
examines the details and asks the basic question... Why didn't the companies
get taken to task about their failure to offer broadband?

Verizon is also claiming it is losing lines and needs to come up with
competitive strategies...

You got to be kidding --- Verizon is not losing lines. Verizon is lying
about its line counts to get changes in state laws to raise rates.

http://www.newnetworks.com/Accesslines.htm

Verizon's largest competitor is -- Verizon.

Bruce Kushnick,