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Authorizing the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates
("NASUCA") to support the fair and equitable deployment
of high quality Advanced Telecommunications Services ("ATS")
as mandated by Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act and to
encourage regulators and policy makers to work with consumers and
their advocates in obtaining this result.
WHEREAS, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 established a pro-competitive,
deregulatory national policy framework for telecommunications, opening
all telecommunications markets to competition so as to make advanced
telecommunications and information technologies and services available
to all Americans;
WHEREAS, the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC")
convened a Joint Conference for state regulatory commissions and
the FCC to facilitate the cooperative development of federal, state,
and local policies to promote the widespread deployment of advanced
services as defined in Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act;
WHEREAS, the FCC concluded that advanced telecommunications capability
is being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion overall, however,
certain consumer groups, specifically inner city, low-income, rural
Americans, minority, tribal areas, and consumers in U.S. territories
are particularly vulnerable to not having affordable access to advanced
services if deployment is left to market forces alone; and
WHEREAS, NASUCA supports the development of consumer education
programs relating to ATS;
WHEREAS, NASUCA supports the development of market monitoring mechanisms
relating to the development of ATS;
WHEREAS, NASUCA believes that the public should be made aware of
the current status of ATS availability in their states;
WHEREAS, NASUCA supports the establishment of quality of service
standards for ATS;
WHEREAS, NASUCA supports the enforcement of regulatory protections
that ensure a level playing field for all providers of ATS;
WHEREAS, NASUCA supports the establishment of coalitions between
ATS providers, consumers, and policy makers jointly to develop fair
and equitable ATS deployment policies;
WHEREAS, NASUCA supports the creation of laws and regulations to
prohibit misleading/false advertisement of ATS;
WHEREAS, NASUCA supports the enforcement of laws and regulations
that prevent economic and geographic discrimination;
THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED, the National Association of State Utility
Consumer Advocates supports the timely, equitable, reasonable and
ubiquitous deployment of high quality ATS to ensure that residential
and small business consumers have access to a global economy, participation
in all forms of government communications, and benefit from enhanced
economic development and educational opportunities;
THEREFORE, BE IT ALSO RESOLVED, that NASUCA may advocate policies
and practices in all forums which are consistent with the intent
of this resolution and are competitively and technologically neutral;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Committee of NASUCA is
authorized to take action consistent with this Resolution in order
to secure policies and practices which are in accordance with it.
Approved by NASUCA: Submitted by: NASUCA Telecommunications Committee
Place: San Diego, California
Date: November 14, 2000
National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates
8380 Colesville Road, Suite 101, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: (301) 589-6313 Fax: 589-6380
e-mail: nasuca@nasuca.org |