For Immediate Release
ATIS 1200 G Street, NW Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005	Contact: Trish Gessner Phone: 202-434-8851 E-mail: tgessner@atis.org www.atis.org

ATIS Technology Forum: Innovative Technologies Changing Consumer Communications and the Companies that Deliver It

Regulatory Impact on Technology Investment a Repeated Theme as Chief Technology Executives Highlighted IP-Based Networks, Fiber, Wireless-Wireline Convergence

October 12, 2004 – Las Vegas – TELECOM ’04 – The paths are different, but the technology direction of delivering fiber to the premises is the same, agreed the four senior technology executives from four of the largest telecommunications companies in the U.S. – BellSouth, Qwest, SBC Communications and Verizon – during the ATIS Technology Forum at TELECOM ’04 this morning.

Calling packet-based data the “common denominator” for new voice and video services, all four speakers confirmed their continuing commitment to rolling out fiber networks, announced jointly by BellSouth, SBC and Verizon last year during TELECOM ’03.

“We’re in alignment for the end goal of fiber,” said Chris Rice, executive vice president for services and chief technology officer for SBC Communications. “There are different solutions depending on the service set offered and the competition we face.”

“For new construction, fiber-to-the-home is a slam-dunk,” agreed Bill Smith, chief technology officer for BellSouth. But for build out of existing networks, he continued, “the best solution depends on where you started.”

The range of services touted during the session included the bundling of voice and Internet access with interactive television, dual-mode phone handsets that will seamlessly switch from cellular to VoIP through a wireless network, and the simple convenience of a networked phone number list that all of your communications devices could tap in to instead needing to manually update each device.

Continuing a theme heard at sessions throughout TELECOM ’04, the panel participants voiced universal caution that heavy federal and state regulation of new packet-based technologies will stifle investment and slow the launch of new services for consumers.

Paul Lacouture, president of network services for Verizon, referred to a recent California Public Utility Commission (PUC) ruling that conflicts with FCC rules for unbundling packet switches, citing it as an example of how industry regulation is holding back technology deployment. The recent PUC ruling required the unbundling of the packet switches. “We don’t have the means to unbundle the technology.”

Regarding VoIP services, “The evolution has just begun,” said Balan Nair, chief technology officer for Qwest during his opening remarks. “Open standards will drive innovation, and minimal regulation will lead to investment.”

The four panelists, led by Susan M. Miller, president and CEO of ATIS offered their vision for FTTP, VoIP, IP Video and wireless-wireline convergence. Lacouture outlined Verizon’s reasons for choosing fiber as an architecture and it’s push to expand fiber-to-the-premises in several of its service areas. Rice outlined a list of interactive television functions consumers can expect through SBC’s video over IP service, scheduled to launch in late 2005. Nair pushed the ease of maintenance and increased features of VoIP, especially those in office and business environments. BellSouth’s Smith discussed the convergence of wireless and wireline technologies, especially as wireless carriers increase their bandwidth for data networks.

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