*Pages 1--1 from  Microsoft Word - separate statements.doc*
 Federal  Communications  Commission  FCC  03-  243 
 SEPARATE  STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS 


 Re:  Joint  Application  by  SBC  Communications  Inc.,  Illinois  Bell  Telephone  Company,  Indiana  Bell  Telephone  Company  Incorporated,  the  Ohio  Bell  Telephone 
 Company,  Wisconsin  Bell,  Inc.,  and  Southwestern  Bell  Communications  Services,  Inc.  for  Authorization  to  Provide  In-  Region,  InterLATA  Services  in  Illinois, 
 Indiana,  Ohio,  and  Wisconsin 
 With  today’s  grant  of  its  application  to  provide  long-  distance  service  in  Illinois,  Indiana,  Ohio  and  Wisconsin,  SBC  has  received  long-  distance  authorization  for  all  its  States.  I  commend 
 the  company  for  this  achievement.  I  also  commend  the  Illinois  Commerce  Commission,  Indiana  Regulatory  Utility  Commission,  Ohio  Public  Utilities  Commission  and  Wisconsin  Public  Service 
 Commission.  Without  the  hard  work  of  these  four  State  Commissions  to  ensure  that  their  markets  are  open  to  local  competition,  SBC  would  not  be  able  to  cross  this  threshold  in  the 
 Section  271  process. 
 The  real  challenge  lies  ahead.  The  intense  efforts  leading  up  to  today’s  decision  are  merely  a  prologue  to  our  actions  to  ensure  continued  compliance.  We  will  fail  our  statutory 
 charge  and  render  today’s  milestone  meaningless  unless  we  put  in  place  a  rigorous  and  sustained  monitoring  and  enforcement  process  following  the  grant  of  long-  distance  authority.  Through 
 such  a  process,  we  can  ensure  that  consumers  can  continue  to  reap  the  benefits  of  competition  envisioned  by  Congress  in  the  1996  Act—  greater  choice,  lower  prices  and  better  services.  I  look 
 forward  to  working  cooperatively  with  our  counterparts  in  the  States  to  ensure  that  this  happens. 
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