Broad regulations can increase competition, investment and employment, Economics & Technology said in a report paid for by Cbeyond, other competitive carriers and Public Knowledge. The combined net book value of the Bells' plant rose from $142 billion in 1996 to $155 billion in 2001, the report said. By 2007, "it dropped to only $101 billion." So "deregulation resulted in disinvestment rather than" capital investment by Bells. With regulatory policies that hurt competition, "the telecommunications sector has experienced steady and persistent job losses -- a drop of more than 400,000 jobs," including about 140,000 positions lost at the Bells 2001-2007, the report said. Regulatory changes last decade "freed the Bell monopolies to make radical cuts in jobs and infrastructure investment," Cbeyond said. CEO Jim Geiger said, "ETI's new report demonstrates conclusively that this is stifling the investment and innovation we need to get our economy off the shoulder and back into the fast lane."
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