3 states seek Verizon-FairPoint review

3 states seek Verizon-FairPoint review

	Published : Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:48 By : Agencies Print this Story

(AP) - Members of the U.S. House from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are asking the Federal Communications Commission to carefully review the proposed sale of Verizon's land telephone lines in the three states.

The five House members also asked in a letter that the FCC hold off on making any decision on the sale to FairPoint Communications until after regulators in all three states have ruled on the plan. The FCC also must approve before the sale can go through.

The letter was signed by Maine Reps. Thomas Allen and Michael Michaud, New Hampshire's Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter and Vermont's Peter Welch.

'We are vitally concerned that our constituents have access to high quality and affordable telecommunications services,' the House members wrote. 'Therefore, we ask that the FCC conduct a thorough and extensive review of the proposed transaction to ensure that it is in the best interest of consumers, employees and state and local economies.'

The group wrote that by delaying its decision, the FCC would be better able to rule after issues raised by the proposal are aired, in detail, in state regulatory hearings this fall.

Critics, including the union representing Verizon employees, say FairPoint is too small to take over existing service and expand Internet access.

In Maine this week, opponents delivered a wheelbarrow full of postcards to Gov. John Baldacci as state regulators prepared for their third public hearing on the proposal.

Vermont's Public Service Board held hearings this month on the sale, and New Hampshire regulators will take up the case in late October.

At earlier Maine hearings, FairPoint officials said the proposed sale drew support of large and small businesses, educational institutions and the tourism industry.

FairPoint has also said it plans to increase Internet access from 62 percent across the region now to 90 percent. It has also said it will create 675 new jobs.