Under its new chairman, the FCC is also expected to ease some rules in the telecommunications industry.
That means the Baby Bells will likely have an easier time offering long-distance services within their own territories.
And they’ll probably get the green light to roll out high-speed Internet services nationwide.
“Powell’s going to be much more in favor of letting the marketplace resolve certain issues,” said Eric Fishman, a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Holland & Knight, which specializes in telecommunications law.
“Expect him to make it easier for the Bells to go into the long-distance market.”
And that means more competition for the already foundering long-distance companies like AT&T, Sprint and Bernie Ebbers’ WorldCom.
Carl Geppert, a partner at Arthur Anderson’s technology, media and communications group, agrees.
“Get ready to see a rush of applications from the Baby Bells,” Geppert said.
Under the new Powell administration, “the review process will be streamlined and made more efficient.”
The FCC recently approved the entry of SBC into Kansas and Oklahoma’s long-distance markets. Verizon is currently the only other Baby Bell operating a local and long-distance service in its New York market.
“His antitrust training is extremely important,” said Martin Stern, a partner at Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds and former deputy chief of the competition division at the FCC. “The FCC often has a whole list of other agenda items – but Powell does not.”