Grassroots Campaign Seeks to Provide for Consumer Choice
On Cable Internet Access
DENVER, July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Another grassroots effort to give
consumers real choice for Internet services, and to guarantee an open cable
system, has burst on to the scene. This time, it is in Denver and follows on
the heels of open access victories in Portland, Ore., and Broward County, Fla.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990628/RMILOGO )
A coalition of Internet service providers (ISPs), communications companies
and consumers today launched a campaign to ensure consumer choice and open
access to Denver's cable system. The coalition seeks voter approval to amend
the 15-year cable franchise agreement reached between the City and County of
Denver and AT&T Broadband and Internet Services.
Under the agreement reached with the city, AT&T would deny independent
ISPs reasonable and nondiscriminatory access to AT&T's cable platform, meaning
that consumers would have no choice but to purchase AT&T's Internet Service if
they wanted Internet access over their cable systems. If consumers wanted a
different provider, they would effectively have to pay twice.
The Denver alliance, which includes the openNET Coalition -- a group of
nationwide companies battling for competition in high-speed cable access --
has filed an initiative asking Denver voters to ensure that consumers have
real choice of their cable-based Internet services, and that all ISPs have
open access to the AT&T cable network. They submitted more than 4,000
signatures with the Denver Election Commission, twice as many as needed to
qualify for the Nov. 2, 1999 ballot.
"Customers will benefit from full and open access," said Douglas Hanson,
chairman and chief executive officer of RMI.NET, Inc. of Denver, and a leader
of the coalition. "We think that more choice at less cost is what customers
want and deserve. Under the agreement between AT&T and the City and County of
Denver, consumer choice would be limited and costs would be higher. The
openNET Coalition initiative will be good for residential users and small
business."
Denver is not alone in facing this critical test of competition in the
technology-based economy. Lawmakers in Portland and Multnomah County, Ore.
recently have required that AT&T provide its competitors equal access to its
network. Similar fights have taken place in Florida and Dallas.
"What we are asking for is simple," sand Hanson. "We want fair and open
access so that consumers have real choices and that the companies of the
future -- many of which are based here in Colorado -- can compete on a level
playing field with AT&T, now the biggest player on the block."
Coalition members also argue that since ISPs and long distance companies
such as MCI and Sprint are guaranteed open access on the traditional telephone
network for their respective services, cable-based systems ought to have to
follow the same rules.
The following is the official ballot language filed with the Denver
Election Commission:
"The people of the city and County of Denver hereby find and declare that
Internet services is essential to consumers who live in the City and the
businesses operating here. In order to maximize access to the Internet, such
service should be available to customers in a competitive atmosphere."
SOURCE RMI.NET, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.rmi.net
Photo Notes:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990628/RMILOGO
For assistance: PR Newswire Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or
201-369-3467
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/139760.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 139760
CONTACT:
Michael Schaefer, 303-638-5054, or Mark
Stutz, 303-324-6402, both of RMI.NET; or Jim Carpenter of the
openNET Coalition, 303-837-4340
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