The
FCC released summary statistics of its latest data on local telephone
service competition and on the deployment of high-speed connections
to the Internet. The data indicate that end-user customers obtained
local telephone service over some 173 million incumbent local exchange
carrier (ILEC) switched access lines, almost 20 million competitive
local exchange carrier (CLEC) switched access lines, and about 122
million mobile wireless telephone service subscriptions. Meanwhile,
high-speed connections to the Internet increase 33 percent during
the second half of 2001 for a total of 12.8 million lines.
More
statistics and information on local telephone service are available
at the FCC's Web
site. More on broadband connections are here.
The
FCC also announced the release of the Local Competition and Broadband
Reporting Form (FCC Form 477) for the September 1, 2002 filing deadline.
Providers of local telephone service and broadband services that
serve 10,000 or more voice-grade equivalent lines, or wireless channels,
in a given state must file a Form 477 for that state. Filers can
obtain the revised form and instructions at http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html.