Press Release
Free Press: AT&T Has No Credibility on Investment
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
WASHINGTON – AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said today that if the Federal Communications Commission moves forward with its “third way” proposal to restore its oversight of broadband services, the company may cut back spending on its U-Verse home television and Internet service.
S. Derek Turner, Free Press research director, responded, stating:
"The FCC’s move to protect the status quo by reasserting its oversight authority will have no impact on the underlying fundamentals of the broadband marketplace and will ultimately have no impact on AT&T's investment decisions.
"AT&T has already slowed down U-verse deployment under the current Title I regime, so to blame the FCC for the company's own investment decisions is simply disingenuous.
"AT&T has no credibility on investment, and this latest threat is further evidence of that. The company continues to cry wolf about investment to pressure the FCC into doing its bidding, while it fails to deliver on key promises. In 2002, the company (operating as SBC) promised the Commission that it would invest billions to deploy fiber-to-the-home technology if the FCC gave it specific deregulatory favors. AT&T got exactly what it wanted, but the company has yet to deliver on its investment promise. This latest threat is just more of the same.”
S. Derek Turner, Free Press research director, responded, stating:
"The FCC’s move to protect the status quo by reasserting its oversight authority will have no impact on the underlying fundamentals of the broadband marketplace and will ultimately have no impact on AT&T's investment decisions.
"AT&T has already slowed down U-verse deployment under the current Title I regime, so to blame the FCC for the company's own investment decisions is simply disingenuous.
"AT&T has no credibility on investment, and this latest threat is further evidence of that. The company continues to cry wolf about investment to pressure the FCC into doing its bidding, while it fails to deliver on key promises. In 2002, the company (operating as SBC) promised the Commission that it would invest billions to deploy fiber-to-the-home technology if the FCC gave it specific deregulatory favors. AT&T got exactly what it wanted, but the company has yet to deliver on its investment promise. This latest threat is just more of the same.”
