I know I just got done television franchising rules should be relaxed to allow Verizon FIOS deployment, but we need folks like the FCC and state utility regulators to enforce some basic, consumer-oriented protections.

A great example of what could happen if Verizon is allowed to operate solely in its interest is illustrated in a recent article on Om Malik's Broadband Blog. Om reports that a reader told him that Verizon is deactivating copper facilities to people's homes as it installs a new fiber-optic connection.

This supposedly locks new FIOS customers into Verizon because the FCC has ruled that dedicated fiber optic network facilities do not have to be shared with competitive local exchange carriers.

My emphasis in the previous post was that FIOS deployment should advance the competitive market. If FIOS allows Verizon to lock out some of its competitors and create an oligopoly, then our Federal government is on the verge of creating a big competitive problem in the future.

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