USTelecom Files Brief for Competitive Parity in Retention Marketing
Background: Today, USTelecom filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to support the right of its members to engage in retention marketing programs similar to those used by cable companies.
The following statement is from Walter B. McCormick Jr., President and CEO of USTelecom:
“Our brief today protects our members’ First Amendment right to communicate with their customers, and it supports consumers’ right to have access to timely, accurate information about prices and service options. But it also supports a much broader goal: creating a true marketplace for communications services where regardless of platform, providers can compete head-to-head without artificial regulatory advantages. The Order’s result is that cable companies-which offer bundled services that are like those offered by telecom companies-can use retention marketing programs to keep their video customers, but telecom companies can’t use the same methods to retain voice customers: that result is fundamentally unfair. We applaud FCC Chairman Kevin Martin for opposing the Order, and we’re confident that after careful review, the Court will reach the same conclusion and reject it.”
Release date: July 08, 2008
The United States Telecom Association, USTelecom, is the premier broadband trade association representing service providers
and suppliers for the telecom industry. USTelecom represents companies offering a wide range of services across the communications
platforms, including voice, video and data over local exchange, long distance, wireless, Internet and cable services.