Cable-Telco Competition: What Is Fair?

Seeing video competition coming from telcos, the NCTA argues that the FCC and Congress should not allow telcos to "redline" communities and only offer video services to middle and upper income households. If cable is under franchise rules requiring the wiring of the entire community, then telcos should not be allowed to decide which segments of the community to serve.

On this, I agree. Competition is a good thing. Regulatory skewed and fractured competition is a bad thing. Cable and telcos and DBS and wireless and other delivery mediums should compete on as level a field as possible. Telcos don't need OVS type rules or regulatory exemptions from franchising rules to fairly compete. Telcos have the money, the means and only lack the will and corporate culture to succeed. Maybe its time to revisit franchising requirements, although there is a reasonable fear that some communities will be de facto redlined or placed way down a list for service.

A question that needs to be looked at and considered.