openNET Coalition Applauds Comcast Decision To Embrace Open Access

Challenges Rest Of Cable Industry To Follow

27-Mar-00

The openNET Coalition applauded the decision by Comcast, the nation's third largest cable company, to open its high-speed Internet cable lines to other Internet service providers (ISPs) over the next two years. ""With Comcast's announcement, another cable company has come to the conclusion that open access is not only what consumers want, but it is also good for their business,"" said Greg Simon, Co-Director of the openNET Coalition. ""We congratulate them on embracing open access. However, Comcast leaves a number of important questions unanswered. Will Comcast treat all ISPs equally in negotiations? Will they end time limits on streaming video? Will they work to ensure consumers can have a choice of ISPs in a matter of months, not years? We reiterate our call to the cable industry to make the open access principles contained in the AOL-Time Warner Memorandum of Understanding a national standard of open access to the cable network. We urge Comcast to implement these principles in a deliberate and visible manner as quickly as possible so that consumers can have choice and begin enjoying competition over the Comcast network this year."" With its decision to open its cable lines sometime in 2002, as reported Friday's Communications Daily, Comcast joins both AT&T and America Online-Time Warner in pledging to open their cable lines to multiple ISPs once their current exclusive contracts expire. Unlike America Online-Time Warner however, Comcast has not outlined how they would implement open access. ""Comcast's announcement does not mean the battle for open access is over,"" said Rich Bond, Co-Director of the openNET Coalition. ""The remainder of cable companies have not yet taken the open access plunge and, for many consumers, cable will be their only way of receiving high-speed Internet access for years. Therefore, the openNET Coalition will continue to press policy makers to ensure that cable open access becomes a reality."" The openNET Coalition represents more than 900 Internet service providers and other Internet-related companies around the United States. For more information on the coalition, visit the Web site at http://www.opennetcoalition.org.

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