N.J. REGULATORS OKAY VERIZON-MCI MERGER

摘要

The N.J. Board of Public Utilities approved the Verizon-MCI merger, subject to 3 conditions that mirrored commitments the carriers made to the FCC to secure federal approval. The Board required that the merged companies cap unbundled network element rates at current levels for 24 months, cap rates for 30 months at present levels for existing customers of MCI's DS-1 and DS-3 private line services, and provide standalone retail DSL service for at least the next 2 years. With these conditions, the BPU said the merger will allow the new operation to draw on each company’s strengths to become an effective competitor, without producing anticompetitive effects on the market. nnBPU Pres. Jeanne Fox said "the evolution and change in the telecom market are giving consumers a variety of options from a diverse array of providers to meet their communications needs. This merger will benefit the public as cable, wireless and Internet-based providers meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive environment." The N.J. action leaves just 5 states standing between the companies and their merger -- the Verizon in-region states of Pa. and W.Va., and the out- of-region states of Alaska, Ariz. and Wash.