The FTTP agenda

No sooner did we mail out our “View from the Edge” newsletter last Tuesday night alluding to possible RBOC collusion re: the fiber to the premises RFP, than did Probe Research issue its thoughts on the effort and what it believes is the true agenda behind it.

No sooner did we mail out our “View from the Edge” newsletter last Tuesday night alluding to possible RBOC collusion re: the fiber to the premises RFP, than did Probe Research issue its thoughts on the effort and what it believes is the true agenda behind it.

Only they did not draw parallels to Martha Stewart’s insider trading indictment… rats!

According to Probe, the three RBOCs issuing the RFP – BellSouth, SBC and Verizon – are using a familiar tactic: promise of increased capital spending, this time in local-loop fiber optics, to pressure the FCC into favoring them in forthcoming rulemakings. With an eye to the upcoming FCC announcements clarifying its UNE and broadband access decision in February, Probe stated, the RBOCs issued a statement to vendors that they have reached an agreement on FTTP technology and standards.

Like “View from the Edge,” Probe suggests that the timing is “obviously” geared to influencing the FCC Triennial Review rules that will be issued shortly. The RBOCs are on a full-court press to have better federal regulatory environments with the FTTP announcement, the firm states.

“The implication of the public announcement of the big three RBOCs is that a nice set of rules from the FCC will mean faster deployment of FTTP,” Probe asserts.

Probe believes it will take “one to two generations” before the U.S. is FTTPed if the current economic climate stands, thus doing little to make up the “bandwidth deficit” RBOCs face vs. the cable TV industry.

DSL anyone?