Subject: What can small ISP do re: anticompetitve problems w/Bell Atlantic
James Love (love@cptech.org)
Date: Wed, 03 Jun 1998 17:02:00 -0400
Message-Id: <3575B9C8.DDAD555F@cptech.org> Date: Wed, 03 Jun 1998 17:02:00 -0400 From: James Love <love@cptech.org> To: Roundtable <roundtable@cni.org> Subject: What can small ISP do re: anticompetitve problems w/Bell Atlantic
I just took a call from a very unhappy Maryland Internet Service
Provider (ISP), who reports many very serious problems with Bell
Atlantic. Bell Atlantic has its own ISP service, which competes with
the small business Maryland ISP.
The ISP believes that under Maryland law, they cannot sue Bell Atlantic
for damages until they first seek relief from the Maryland Public
Services Commission (PSC). But, the ISP also says that Maryland PSC
is completely unresponsive, has delayed action for years on basic
complaints, and failed to protect the ISP from a range of
anticompetitive actions by Bell Atlantic. As someone who has spent a
few years in an incredibly poorly managed Maryland ISDN rate case, I
find the ISPs complaints very plausible.
What are the ISP's options?
Jamie Love <love@cptech.org>
---------------------
Notes from call from Mark Ballard.
June 3, 1998
Intercom systems, Corp. ISP. Trade as IMS.
Mark Ballard
301.856.0817
mark@imsnet.net
http://www.imssys.com
Maryland PSC case is 3 years old, and they just granted BA another
extension. Case 8764. Maryland PSC refused to act on a number of very
serious complaints against Bell Atlantic.
1. Feb 1995, filed first complaint with MD PSC which concerned denial
of additional telephone lines. Kathy Warner from Bell Atlantic small
business services told them that after the complaint was filed, they
would never get anything from Bell Atlantic again. Soon afterward, IMS
Intercom was removed from 411 service, and kept out of 411 service for
22 months. The IMS Intercom listing was also removed from the White
Pages for 22 months.
2. For 3 months in 1996, IMS Intercom could not get long distance
service. MCI told them that BA was not processing the order.
3. Customers were charged for broken facilities, and BA refused to fix
them, but charged top dollars.
4. Contracting issues. Ba quoted one price, and charged another, for
services such T-1 lines, for both us and our business customers.
5. Denied by tactical delays, ISDN lines. What ISPs can't get this?
6. Mucho service problems. Our entire Centrex hunt group was
disconnected six times, including once for six days.
7. Several billing complaints.
8. BA contacted customers and offered to sell completing ISP services.
For example, BA is offering IMS Intercom customers ISDN services for
less than IMS Intercom can buy the services from BA, based upon the
tariff.
9. MD PSC won't help us, and does everything BA asked them to do. The
MD PSC won't even tell us if they have jurisdiction over damages.
-- James Love Consumer Project on Technology P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036 love@cptech.org | http://www.cptech.org/ 202.387.8030, fax 202.234.5176
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