Verizon's CEO Sees Greater Regulatory Confusion in Wake of FCC Decision

Verizon Communications is "somewhere between confused, perplexed and very angry" about the recent FCC decision, said Ivan Seidenberg, CEO of Verizon Communications, speaking at the Merrill Lynch Global Communications Investor Conference. Verizon believes the whole UNE model is fundamentally flawed and doomed to fail in the long run with or without regulatory changes due to advancing technology. Verizon will challenge the ruling in court seeking a stay or a reversal of the new state-by-state policy. With regard to the broadband piece, Seidenberg said the FCC "appeared to be headed in the right direction" but still managed to create greater regulatory confusion by ruling that state commissions should have a role in permitting ILECs to retire copper plant. He said the full financial implication of the FCC rulings probably wouldn't be felt until the remainder of this year. For the coming weeks, he expects business as usual while company lawyers evaluate the new positions. The factors that drove Verizon's business in 2002 will continue for now.
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