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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).
STATEMENT OF FCC CHAIRMAN REED HUNDT ON PROPOSED BELL ATLANTIC/NYNEX MERGER CONDITIONS
The merger conditions proposed today by Bell Atlantic and NYNEX would bring
enforceable, pro-competitive, market opening terms to the whole Bell Atlantic/NYNEX region in
a way that offsets the loss of Bell Atlantic as a potential competitor to NYNEX. Based on these
conditions, I personally believe we can and should approve the merger as in the public interest.
These commitments by Bell Atlantic/Nynex will guarantee for the whole region fair
prices for interconnection, improve the core operational mechanism necessary to have
competition, make those operational mechanisms uniform throughout the Bell Atlantic/NYNEX
region, and give new entrants the tools they need to negotiate performance standards with Bell
Atlantic and NYNEX, as well as to monitor and enforce those standards. The proposed reporting
requirements will also strengthen the ability of the Commission and the state commissions to
verify, test, and enforce non-discrimination rules. The conditions would sunset after four years,
which I believe is a reasonable time to see whether they will succeed in allowing competition to
take root as a counterbalance to the merger.
In September, we will convene a Bell Atlantic/NYNEX regional state-FCC forum to
examine state-federal cooperation in promoting competition in telecommunications markets.
Today's announcement by Bell Atlantic and NYNEX demonstrates that our commitment to
competition is both reasonable and achievable.
-FCC-