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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  News  Media  contact:  December  3,  2003  Jessica  Rosenworcel  at  (202)  418-  2000 
 Lisa  Zaina  at  (202)  418-  2300 
 FCC  COMMISSIONERS  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS  AND  JONATHAN  S.  ADELSTEIN  CALL  FOR  SECTION  271  ENFORCEMENT  FOLLOW-  THROUGH 


 Washington,  D.  C.—  Commissioners  Michael  J.  Copps  and  Jonathan  S.  Adelstein  reacted  today  to  the  release  of  the  Commission’s  final  decision  granting  a  Bell  Operating  Company 
 permission  to  enter  the  long-  distance  market:  “Today’s  decision  is  one  for  the  history  books.  By  granting  Qwest  authority  to  provide  in-  region,  long-  distance  service  in  Arizona,  we  complete  a 
 cycle  of  state-  by-  state  review  of  local  competition  that  was  set  in  motion  by  Congress  in  1996. 
 “But  this  is  in  no  way  the  end  of  the  process,  because  the  real  challenge  is  just  beginning.  We  must  put  in  place  a  rigorous  and  sustained  monitoring  process  to  ensure  continued 
 compliance  with  the  market-  opening  requirements  of  Section  271.  We  are  mistaken  if  we  think  that  competition  is  guaranteed  forever  by  our  decisions—  at  best,  it  is  only  enabled. 


 “Our  enforcement  practice  in  this  area  has  been  little  more  than  requiring  Bell  Operating  Companies  to  provide  the  Commission  with  performance  data  for  the  first  year  following  long-distance 
 authorization.  This  is  a  lax  way  to  go  about  ensuring  continued  compliance.  If  we  keep  to  this  course,  we  have  stuck  our  heads  in  the  sand,  willfully  blind  to  the  possibility  that 
 problems  may  arise  after  the  first-  year  of  long  distance  entry.  Competitors  always  are  free  to  file  complaints,  but  we  believe  Congress  asked  us  to  do  more.  After  all,  without  effective 
 monitoring,  we  may  find  that  the  old  monopoly  forces  that  led  to  the  breakup  of  Ma  Bell  will  be  able  to  just  piece  themselves  back  together  again.” 


 Under  Section  271  of  the  Communications  Act,  Bell  Operating  Companies  are  prevented  from  offering  in-  region,  long-  distance  service  until  they  demonstrate  that  the  local  markets  they 
 serve  are  open  to  competition.  Copps  and  Adelstein  said:  “Through  the  Section  271  process,  we  have  unleashed  a  new  era  of  competition,  choice  and  innovation  for  American  consumers.  For 
 consumers  to  continue  to  reap  these  benefits,  the  Commission  will  need  to  fortify  its  enforcement  process  to  ensure  local  markets  remain  fully  and  irreversibly  open  to  competition.” 


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