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Call for interconnected networks
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Posted on Oct 26 2004
In light of their persistent refusal to break their exclusive control of the fiber optic cable in the CNMI, Verizon Pacifica and Pacific Telecom Inc. officials should start getting themselves informed about the provisions contained in the U.S. Telecommunications Act of 1996, an uncompromising step taken by the U.S Congress to restructure the nation’s telecommunications markets. And these markets include the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands—an American insular area.
Gov. Juan N. Babauta has all the right reasons to press Verizon to divest its undersea fiber optic cable, especially because he seem to be making the call in line with the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which envisions a network of interconnected networks. The Act’s implementation reduces regulatory barriers to entry and competition in local exchange markets, mandating interconnection of telecommunications networks and cost-based pricing of leased parts of the network so that competitors can enter easily and compete component by component as well as service by service.
I therefore urge the Commonwealth Telecommunications Commission to pattern its operations after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 so that competition will be established in the local telephony market—be it in the landline, mobile or long distance markets—so that every one of us here in the Commonwealth will have better choices when it comes to picking whose telecom service best meets our needs.
Remelyn Torres
Chalan Kanoa
