Santa Monica, CA — The Foundation For Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) today condemned the Federal Communications Commission’s ruling allowing local telephone companies to stop other high-speed Internet service providers, like Earthlink, from using their lines. FTCR said the decision, a reversal of previous rules, could lead to widespread Internet service disruption and price gouging.

“The FCC ruled DSL is an information service not a telecommunication service subject to regulation, but tell that to millions of Americans who could be booted off line if they don’t want to pay their telephone company’s price,” said FTCR president Jamie Court. “In some areas local telephone companies don’t even sell every customer DSL access offered by other high-speed providers. With polls showing most Americans disapprove of
President Bush and his handling of Iraq, it’s a curious to time for the Administration to be restricting Americans’ access to information over the Internet.”

For more about FTCR, visit: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org

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