[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58885-58887]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20478]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Public Symposium: Voice, Video and Broadband: The Changing 
Competitive Landscape and Its Impact on Consumers

AGENCY: Antitrust Division, Department of Justice.

ACTION: Notice of Symposium and call for written submissions.

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SUMMARY: On November 29, 2007, the Department of Justice Antitrust 
Division (``Antitrust Division'') will host a public symposium on 
``Voice, Video and Broadband: The Changing Competitive Landscape and 
Its Impact on Consumers.'' The symposium will address issues related to 
competition in the provision of voice, video and broadband Internet 
access, focusing on consumer services and the impact of convergence 
between traditionally distinct lines of activity such as video 
delivery, landline telephony, and wireless services.
    The event is open to the public. There is no fee for attendance. 
Preregistration is not necessary to attend but is strongly encouraged 
to facilitate space and other planning for the event. Preregistration 
is requested by November 16, 2007. To preregister, send your name, 
affiliation and e-mail address to [email protected] and 
refer to ``Preregistration'' in the subject line of the message.
    Additional information about the symposium will be posted on the 
DOJ Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/workshops/telecom2007/index.htm (``symposium Web site'').
    Date: Thursday, November 29, 2007.
    Time: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
    Place: Ronald Reagan Building, Horizon Room, 1300 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. All

[[Page 58886]]

attendees will be required to show a valid form of photo 
identification, such as a driver's license, to be admitted.
    Submission of Relevant Information: Any person may make a written 
submission in paper or electronic form on the topics to be discussed as 
described below under Supplementary Information. Studies, surveys, 
research and empirical data are especially useful. Any submissions must 
be received on or before November 13, 2007. Such material will be made 
available for review by panelists, may be made available at the 
Antitrust Division's discretion to the public on the Internet or 
through other means, and may be used in any summary of the symposium. 
Participation as a speaker at the symposium is by invitation of the 
Department of Justice only.
    Paper submissions should clearly refer to ``Voice, Video and 
Broadband: The Changing Competitive Landscape and Its Impact on 
Consumers'' in the text and on the envelope. An original and two 
complete copies should be mailed or delivered to: United States 
Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, City Center Building Suite 
8000, Attention: Ashley Becker, 1401 H Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20530.
    Electronic submissions should be sent to 
[email protected] with a reference to ``Submission'' in 
the subject line of the message. Electronic submissions by e-mail 
should not exceed 10 MB with attachments. Alternatively, submissions 
may be made on media such as CDs and sent to the address listed above 
for paper submissions. Use of a courier service is recommended to avoid 
possible damage to electronic media in screening. If you make an 
electronic submission using PDF format, please include a comparable 
text version in a separate file (such as Word or WordPerfect).
    All submissions received by the Division will be made part of the 
public record. Submissions and the identity of the submitter may be 
disclosed, reproduced and distributed by publication and/or posting on 
the Antitrust Division Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/workshops/telecom2007/index.htm. Information submitted in connection 
with this symposium will not be maintained as confidential by the 
Department of Justice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ashley Becker, Department of Justice, 
Antitrust Division, City Center Building Suite 8000, 1401 H Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20530, telephone (202) 514-5835. Additional 
information on the symposium will also be posted on the symposium Web 
site.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background and Symposium Goals

    The telecommunications industry has been experiencing significant 
technological, economic, and regulatory changes in the decade since the 
passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In particular, 
telecommunications services provided to consumers, including voice 
telephony and broadband data, have increasingly come to be provided by 
competing facilities-based alternatives. Cable television systems have 
been entering residential voice telephony services in much of the 
United States over the past few years, relying heavily on Voice over 
Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. In addition, some telephone 
carriers have begun to compete in the delivery of multichannel video 
programming with traditional incumbent cable systems and satellite-
based delivery. There is widespread discussion of other possible 
alternatives for delivery of telecommunications and video services to 
consumers, including wireless and broadband over power lines. Voice 
telephony, broadband and multichannel video programming services are 
frequently offered to consumers as bundles, often at discounts from 
stand-alone services.
    At the same time, concerns are sometimes expressed about remaining 
barriers to entry into the delivery of telecommunications and video 
programming services. Such barriers--whether arising from regulatory 
restrictions, conduct of established providers, or inherent economic 
and technical limitations--may tend to restrict the degree of 
competitiveness of these services. The Department has recently 
advocated various regulatory and legal changes that will make entry 
into video programming delivery and telephone services more likely.\1\
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    \1\ See, e.g., Proposed Modifications to the Application Form 
for Approval of Authority to Offer, Render, Furnish or Supply 
Telecommunications Services to the Public in the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Docket No. M-
00960799, Comments of the United States Department of Justice (filed 
March 27, 2007) (recommending reform of Pennsylvania's procedures 
for certification of competitors to provide facilities-based 
telephony services in rural areas to promote more rapid entry); In 
the Matter of Implementation of section 621(a)(1) of the Cable 
Communications Policy Act of 1984 as amended by the Cable Television 
Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, Federal 
Communications Commission, MM Docket No. 05-311, Ex Parte Submission 
of the Department of Justice (May 10, 2006) (requesting the FCC to 
address what would constitute an ``unreasonable refusal'' by a local 
franchising authority to award a competitive video franchise, and 
expressing concern about certain practices such as build-out 
requirements). Other actions taken by the Department of Justice are 
referenced on the symposium Web site.
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    The Antitrust Division will host a symposium on Thursday, November 
29, 2007, in Washington, DC, to provide a forum for discussion of the 
current status of competition in telecommunications services and video 
programming delivery, the prospects for additional competition, and 
whether regulatory changes or other government action would promote 
more competition. The symposium will be structured around four panel 
discussions focused on the topics below.

Morning Session: Cable TV and Telephone Company Competition

    Consumers are beginning to benefit from new facilities-based 
competition. Cable television systems are beginning to offer voice 
telephony in addition to video and broadband, and telephone companies 
are beginning to offer video in addition to voice and broadband. How 
widespread is this facilities-based competition now, and how extensive 
is it likely to become? What regulatory or other obstacles do entrants 
still face? What are the ramifications for competition and antitrust 
analysis of this entry and how has bundling impacted the nature of 
competition?

Panel I: Entry Into Multichannel Video Services

    Issues: This panel will explore whether there are significant 
regulatory (federal, state and local) or other constraints on video 
entry and how competition has changed as a result of the telephone 
companies' entry into offering video services. How widely are telephone 
company video services likely to be offered in the future? How have 
telecommunications entry and bundling affected competition?

Panel II: Entry Into Telecommunications Services

    Issues: This panel will explore whether there are significant 
regulatory (federal, state and local) or other constraints on voice 
entry and how competition has changed as a result of the cable 
companies' entry into telephony. To what extent are various modes of 
entry used now and how likely are they to be used in the future? Are 
there areas unlikely to see competition? What effect have subsidies had 
on competition? How have entry by cable TV companies and bundling 
affected competition?

[[Page 58887]]

Afternoon Session: Alternative Technologies To Reach the Consumer

    Some observers have predicted that most telecommunications and 
entertainment services will at some point be delivered to all consumers 
over a single connection to their homes. Will consumers have a wide 
selection of alternative providers for that connection?

Panel III: Wireless Technologies

    Issues: This panel will focus on the extent to which wireless 
broadband systems are current and future competitive alternatives to 
cable modems and DSL. What regulatory or other issues could delay 
rollout? What are the prospects for municipal broadband networks? How 
are these advanced wireless services likely to impact competition?

Panel IV: Other Technologies Including Satellite, Broadband Over Power 
Line

    Issues: This panel will focus on whether other technologies such as 
satellite and broadband over power lines can compete for customers. 
What is the current and predicted subscriber base for these services, 
and what is necessary to attract more subscribers and providers? Will 
these services be competitive everywhere or only in limited geographic 
areas or for certain types of customers?
    Privacy Notice: Those who preregister for the symposium must supply 
their name, affiliation and e-mail address to the Antitrust Division. 
The Department of Justice is permitted by law to collect this contact 
information to consider and use for the stated purpose. Under the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or other laws, we may be required to 
disclose the information you provide us to outside organizations. In 
addition, all timely and responsive submissions, whether filed in paper 
or electronic form, may be made publicly available at http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/workshops/telecom2007/index.htm. While DOJ 
makes certain efforts, in its discretion, to remove home contact and 
other personally identifying information for individuals from the 
public submissions it receives before placing those submissions on its 
Web site, persons making submissions are responsible for ensuring that 
these do not contain any information that they are unwilling to have 
disclosed to the public. For additional information, including routine 
uses permitted by the Privacy Act, see the DOJ Web site privacy policy 
at http://www.usdoj.gov/privacy-file.htm.

    Dated: October 10, 2007.
Thomas O. Barnett,
Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division.

 [FR Doc. E7-20478 Filed 10-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-11-P