FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: November 18, 1999 Mike Balmoris at (202) 418-0253 Email: mbalmori@fcc.gov COMMON CARRIER ACTION FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION action to ACCELERATE availability of ADVANCED telecommunications SERVICES for residential and small business consumers "Line Sharing" to Lower Cost and Increase Availability of Broadband Services Used for High Speed Access to the Internet Washington, D.C. Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules to promote competition for advanced services, by directing local telephone companies to share their telephone lines with providers of high speed Internet access and other data services. This Order is intended to ensure that as many companies as possible will be able to deploy new technologies on a faster, more cost-effective basis and should accelerate the ability of residential and small business customers to access competitive broadband services from their choice of providers. The Advanced Services Third Report and Order adopted today permits competitive carriers to obtain access to the high-frequency portion of the local loop from the incumbent LECs over which the incumbent LEC provides voice services. This will enable competitive carriers to provide Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)-based services over the same telephone lines simultaneously used by incumbent LECs to provide basic telephone service, a technique referred to as "line sharing." Line sharing will permit consumers to obtain innovative data services from either incumbent or competitive carriers, without having to forego the traditional voice services from their provider of choice. Since line sharing allows customers to receive both services on the same line, it eliminates the need for consumers to procure a second line. This allows for more efficient use of the existing telephone network. Incumbent LECs are already using line sharing technology to offer basic telephone service and DSL services over the same line. Thus the Commission's action places competitive carriers on a more equal footing with incumbent LECs, while at the same time not affecting the incumbent LEC's ability to offer its DSL service or its voice service. The Commission also established policies intended to ensure the compatibility of advanced services and traditional phone service and to minimize the risk of harmful interference among services. The policies adopted in this order ensure that American consumers will not face undue delay in receiving the benefits of technological innovation. The Order adopted gives states and this Commission an opportunity to work together to ensure that competitive carriers can begin providing innovative data services as quickly as possible, thereby fulfilling the mutually shared goal of expediting the deployment of advanced services to all Americans. Action by the Commission November 18, 1999, by Third Report and Order (FCC 99- 355). Chairman Kennard, Commissioners Ness, Powell and Tristani with Commissioner Furchtgott-Roth concurring in part and dissenting in part and issuing a statement. Report No. CC 99-54 CC Docket No. 98-147 -FCC- Common Carrier Bureau contacts: Staci Pies, Margaret Egler, and Carol Mattey at (202) 418-1580 TTY: (202) 418-2555 News about the Federal Communications Commission can also be found on the Commission's web site www.fcc.gov.