Two Bell Company CEOs gave speeches Mon. in Fla. that exhorted re...

Policy Forum at Amelia Island, Fla., appeared to set stage for continued Bell company lobbying on Tauzin-Dingell broadband bill when Congress returns. Whitacre told group that telecom industry could help pull U.S. economy out of doldrums if policymakers would develop more “symmetrical national policy” on provision of broadband services. Not only are there disparities between cable and DSL in federal regulation, he said, there also are disparities among 50 states. Remedy is “coherent, preemptive federal broadband policy” that allows all to compete under same rules, Whitacre said. By failing to correct policy imbalance, he said: “Policymakers have put themselves in a tough spot. They may not be perceived as having picked the winner in the broadband race, but they could be viewed as having settled on a loser.” Ackerman argued that highly-regulatory model didn’t work anymore because telecom industry was so competitive, with wireless, cable and Internet competitors. He said BellSouth wasn’t asking that cable modem service be regulated but rather that telcos DSL service be deregulated. He suggested “minimalist” approach for telcos that recognized growth in competition. AT&T spokeswoman called CEOs’ comments “same old Bell rhetoric, looking for regulators to confirm their monopoly.” She said that, just recently, BellSouth “was touting its DSL growth rate” and saying its DSL service was growing faster than any other cable or DSL provider. “It comes to a point where you have to ask which BellSouth do you believe,” she said. Forum is nonprofit organization that promotes public policy discussions.