[May 03, 2004] CALTEL Supports Open and Innovative Negotiations With Baby Bells LOS ANGELES, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement can be attributed to Nikayla Nail Thomas, executive director of CALTEL, who commented today on an offer made by AT&T to the Baby Bell phone companies proposing a solution to local wholesale access issues. CALTEL, California's association of competitive phone companies, supports the efforts of its members to break the logjam with SBC and Verizon and develop creative solutions to the interconnection issues and disputes that are preventing us from using the telecom network to its full advantage for the good of consumers and competition. We believe that AT&T's open and transparent offer to SBC and Verizon is demonstrative of a positive approach to negotiations. Competitive telecommunications companies are attempting to engage in good faith efforts to negotiate fair and equitable terms with SBC and Verizon for network access. This recent offer shows that competition brings forward-thinking, innovative proposals to the table. It is consumers who will ultimately benefit from the results of a good negotiation process. By contrast, SBC has made an "offer" via press release that proposes to hit competitors with a 63% rate increase. Even this unattractive deal would only be available for six months after which rates would presumably increase even more. That offer doesn't provide the foundation needed to ensure good faith negotiations that will benefit all Californians. CALTEL CONTACT: Nikayla Nail Thomas of CALTEL, +1-213-213-3740, [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]