Competition

The FCC's strategic goal for competition is to support the Nation’s economy by ensuring that there is a comprehensive and sound competitive framework for communications services. Such a framework should foster innovation and offer consumers meaningful choice in services. Such a pro-competitive framework should be promoted domestically and overseas.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 directed the FCC to take action to remove statutory, regulatory, economic, and operational barriers to local telephone services competition. In 1998, the FCC established a framework of national rules. These early rules focused on three entry points for local competition:

• Full facilities-based entry,
• Purchase of unbundled network elements from the incumbent local exchange carrier, and
• Resale of the incumbent's retail services.

Today’s focus is on:

• Concerns that not all geographic areas and demographic groups have the same access to advanced communications services,
• Questions about which, if any, of the emerging communications technologies should be included in definitions of universal service,
• Disparity between the pace of competition developing in business and residential markets.
• How best to stop deceptive and illegal practices such as telemarketing fraud.

• Foster sustainable competition across the entire telecommunications sector.

• Facilitate a more effective wholesale market through interconnection policy and other competition-related rules.

• Promote and advance universal service.

• Ensure that consumers have choices among communication services and are protected from anti-competitive behavior in the increasingly competitive telecommunications landscape.

• Continually evaluate and report on the competitive environment for communications services.

1/14/03
Statements on Competition Issues in the Telecommunications Industry, Before the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, United States Senate.
Powell Statement: Statement | Attachment
Abernathy Statement: Word | Acrobat
Copps Statement: Word | Acrobat
Martin Statement: Word | Acrobat
Adelstein Statement: Word | Acrobat