ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 28, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- "The success of HB 957, Delegate Joan F. Stern's (D-39) bill to structurally separate Bell Atlantic-Maryland, a subsidiary of Verizon, Inc., could reverse the fate of hundreds of failing firms that directly or indirectly profit by reselling local service communications," says Kenneth Brown, President of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, a non-partisan think tank headquartered in Arlington, Va. "Every company that competes with Verizon is watching this legislation. This bill could be a proverbial Waterloo for either side," says Brown.
"With a market cap larger than both AT&T and MCI combined, Verizon's control of local service markets has enabled them to decimate their competitors....but, if the bill to break up Verizon survives in Maryland," Brown continues, "expect it to survive in many more states around the country. Verizon is staring at an adverse ruling in Pennsylvania and looking at the same potential disaster in Maryland. If Verizon loses in Maryland, the momentum will enable similar bills to get sponsored throughout the U.S."
"Billy Tauzin (R-LA) Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, avidly supports measures to end regulations which keep Verizon and other large incumbent carriers out of the long-distance market...Without restrictions to end local service regional monopolies, Verizon and incumbent local carriers would certainly crush competitors in the long-distance business. Local measures are the best and most immediate hope for Verizon competitors or CLEC's (competitive local exchange carriers)," concludes Brown.
-0-
CONTACT: Alexis de Tocqueville Institution
Dino Michalopoulos
(703) 351-4969
dmichalo@adti.net