{"id":34895,"date":"2008-03-26T16:35:41","date_gmt":"2008-03-26T21:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-legal\/uncategorized\/fact-sheet-two-years-after-the-act.html"},"modified":"2008-03-26T16:35:41","modified_gmt":"2008-03-26T21:35:41","slug":"fact-sheet-two-years-after-the-act","status":"publish","type":"corporate","link":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/law-library\/fact-sheet-two-years-after-the-act.html","title":{"rendered":"Fact Sheet: Two Years After the Act"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Telecom Act has spurred new competition throughout the marketplace.<\/b>

Local Telephone Competition<\/u><\/p>

  • Competitive telephone companies (CLECs) tripled their customer lines in 1997 to about 1.5 million at the end of the year.<\/li>
  • CLECs now account for about 2.6% of all local telephone revenues.<\/li>
  • Top ten CLECs have switches in 132 cities in 33 states, nearly all of which have been installed since the Act was passed.<\/li><\/ul>

    Long Distance Competition<\/u><\/p>

    • Since 1995, smaller long distance companies have increased their share of the market from under 17% to 24%.<\/li><\/ul>

      Cable Television Competition<\/u><\/p>

      • Direct Broadcast Satellite systems have more than doubled their customers in less than two years from 2.2 million to 5 million.<\/li>
      • Several local telephone companies are overbuilding cable systems.<\/li>
      • The market share of incumbent cable operators has fallen four percent in the last 18 months to 87%.<\/li><\/ul>

        Wireless Competition<\/u><\/p>

        • As a result of spectrum auctions held by the Commission, half of all Americans have a choice of at least four wireless providers in their communities.<\/li><\/ul>

          Consumers are benefiting from increased competition by receiving lower prices and better service.<\/b><\/p>

          Long Distance<\/u><\/p>

          • Since the Act was passed, retail prices for interstate long distance calls have fallen 5.3%.<\/li><\/ul>International<\/u>
            • Rates for calls from the US to foreign countries have fallen from 84 cents\/minute in 1995 to under 70 cents\/minute in 1997.<\/li><\/ul>Cable Television<\/u>
              • <\/li>
              • Cable overbuilds have prevented incumbents from raising their prices as compared to rates in communities with only a monopoly cable supplier.<\/li><\/ul>

                Wireless<\/u><\/p>

                • In 1997, average cellular prices dropped 25% in markets where PCS firms began service.<\/li><\/ul>

                  Competition will continue to accelerate under the Telecom Act.<\/b><\/p>

                  • Publicly traded CLECs have raised $14 billion in capital since the Act was passed and their total market capitalization now amount to $20 billion.<\/li>
                  • Through licensing actions by the Commission, digital television and digital satellite radio are being developed.<\/li><\/ul>

                    The Commission has taken firm steps to bring the benefits of the Act to all Americans.<\/b><\/p>

                    • Universal service reform will keep rates affordable for all Americans.<\/li>
                    • Schools, libraries, rural health care providers and Americans with disabilities will all benefit from Commission actions to bring them modern telecommunications facilities and services.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      Local Telephone Competition Cable Television Competition Long Distance International Wireless Schools, libraries, rural health care providers and Americans with disabilities will all benefit from Commission actions to bring them modern …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":true,"_modified_date":"","_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false},"corporate_categories":[6500,6497,6516],"class_list":["post-34895","corporate","type-corporate","status-publish","hentry","corporate_categories-law-library__communications-law","corporate_categories-law-library","corporate_categories-law-library__science-computers-technology-law"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/corporate\/34895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/corporate"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/corporate"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"corporate_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/corporate_categories?post=34895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}