The CLEC Story

Gary Kim at VoIP Weekly points out that Cable is squeezing even the CLECs. "About 5.1 million end-user switched access lines were provided by competitors using coaxial cable connections, the FCC says. That’s half of the 10.1 million end-user switched access lines that CLECs reported providing over their own local loop facilities and about 16 percent of all end-user switched access lines that CLECs reported. In other words, the theory that competition would lead to facilities-based competition is playing out. Except that it is the cable operators that quickly are emerging as the dominant facilities-based contestants." This has resulted in Qwest giving up Incumbant status in Iowa and VZ petitioning for same freedom in 6 MSA's.