MARYLAND
PSC HEARING EXAMINER FINDS
VERIZON VIOLATED TELECOM RULES
--CoreTel
preparing to seek monetary damages--
Annapolis,
MD, August 11, 2003 -- A Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC)
Hearing Examiner found on Friday that Verizon Maryland violated the Telecommunications
Act of 1996, its interconnection agreement with Core Communications, Inc.
("CoreTel"), and state law by failing to interconnect its network with
that of CoreTel in a timely manner. Specifically, the Hearing Examiner
agreed with CoreTel's claims that Verizon:
- took
much longer to provide interconnection to CoreTel than it takes Verizon
to provide identical services to Verizon's retail customers;
- refused
CoreTel's requested form of interconnection, even though Core's request
was technically feasible;
- refused
to interconnect with Core using available facilities;
- refused,
in bad faith, to communicate with Core in order to achieve a timely
interconnection.
The
Hearing Examiner's Order will become a final order of the Maryland Public
Service Commission if it is not appealed by Verizon. Core expects Verizon
to appeal.
CoreTel's
complaint, which dates back to 1999, centers around Verizon's refusal
to interconnect with CoreTel's Baltimore Wire Center by means of existing
Verizon network facilities. Instead, Verizon insisted on using newly constructed
facilities, forcing Core to wait for months while Verizon completed construction
of the new facilities.
Bret
Mingo, Core's chief executive officer, noted, "While it's edifying for
Core to demonstrate once again that Verizon's interconnection practices
and policies are illegal, we recognize that we still have a lot of Verizon
scorched earth to travel over."
"The
regulatory lag we face is difficult," Mingo continued. "This complaint
is nearly four years old, and I anticipate another multi-year effort to
reach ultimate resolution. The same holds true at the FCC, where Core
is involved in a damages case that also looks like another multi-year
effort."
"Regulators
must recognize that what's sport for the boy is life and death for the
frog. In case it's unclear – we're the frog."
CoreTel,
a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier that provides managed modem service
to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) throughout the Mid-Atlantic region,
recently scored a significant victory at the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC). Last month, the FCC found that Verizon "stunted the growth" of
competitive entry in the Washington, D.C. area by unreasonably delaying
interconnection to Core Communications. CoreTel has announced that it
plans to seek monetary damages from Verizon as a result of the FCC's ruling.
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About
Core Communications, Inc.
Core Communications,
Inc. ("CoreTel") is a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) headquartered
in Annapolis, Maryland. CoreTel competes directly with Verizon - Maryland, Inc.
and other CLECs in the highly contested data communications marketplace. CoreTel
relies on its expertise with integrating the Internet and telephone networks
to provide targeted services to data-focused customers. As a CLEC, CoreTel is
the product of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which deregulated local exchange
telecommunications nationwide, as well as the pro-competition policies of the
Maryland Public Service Commission. CoreTel's investors include Charles Ross
Partners, LLC. For more information, please visit CoreTel's web site at www.coretel.net.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robin Buckley
Buckley & Kaldenbach, Inc.
703.533.9805 |
