AT&T and MCI Communications Corp. have joined a chorus of long-distance operators complaining about a U.S. judge's ruling that effectively opens the door for regional Bell operating companies to offer long-distance telephone service.
AT&T and MCI have filed a motion to freeze last week's ruling from a U.S. federal judge, who deemed as unconstitutional some sections in the 1996 Telecommunications Reform Act that effectively bar RBOCs from offering long-distance telephone services. The long-distance operators last week asked the U.S. District Court to stay the Dec. 31 decision from a judge in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The federal judge's ruling came in a lawsuit filed by SBC Communications, Inc. in July last year, which claimed that Sections 271 to 275 of the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996 unconstitutionally single out and prevent the former Bell companies from providing long-distance phone and electronic publishing services. Already, other RBOCs have petitioned for long-distance rights but have lost.
Sprint Corp., however, claimed that U.S. local telecom markets are not yet open to competition and risk to remain closed should legislators let RBOCs operate long-distance services. Currently the promise of a long-distance license is the carrot to persuade operators like SBC to further open up the local markets in which they operate.
"This is plainly a case where the status quo should be maintained until the Court of Appeals has had a chance to pass on the matter," is how operators worded their motion, AT&T said in a statement.
Accompanying AT&T and MCI in the call to stay last week's ruling are Sprint, the Association for Local Telecommunications Services, the Competitive Telecommunications Association, the National Cable Television Association and the Telecommunications Resellers Association.
US WEST, which joined SBC last week in applauding last week's decision, announced it is ready to begin offering long-distance services in the 14 states where it is a local operator.
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