Telecom, Telephone, and Communications News

Have you read the news release on a speech given by Verizon Executive Vice President Tom Tauke at a meeting of telecommunications leaders in Florida?

The headlines say it all: "Verizon-MCI Partnership Best for Customers, the Internet and National Security, Tauke Says" and "Believes Qwest-MCI 'Not in the Public Interest,' Could Remove Backbone Competitor". Why bother with logical, financial, and technological reasoning and discussions when the old simple fear factor ploy works so well right? I mean it works so well for the news media, and politicians, why not for industry leaders as well?

He does mix in some good financial arguments in his speech and he is correct in citing that Verizon's balance sheet is in better shape than Qwest's. But he just couldn't leave it with the good arguments, but dropped down so low it made my blood boil when I read it.

Just look at this statement, "MCI operates a data network that is one of the principal such networks serving large customers around the globe, including the U.S. Defense and Homeland Security departments. So Verizon attempts to define itself as the defender of Mom, apple pie, and the American way. I guess that makes Qwest the yellow, low-down, cowardly, lefties who are only going to weaken America right. What a pile of crap. It is statements like these coming out of politicians of all stripes that has made me nearly apolitical, and reportage in the news media, especially television news that has me largely ignore them.

Can't these people stick to the 'facts? I mean it isn't that hard is it? But can he leave it there. No. Let's heap some more B.S. on the heap. "Tauke said, cash-strapped Qwest could decide to channel Internet traffic onto its own network and potentially remove a backbone competitor." So a Qwest/MCI merger would be bad for competition? I guess that means a Verizon/MCI merger would be good for competition. I damn near choked on my coffee when I read that one I was laughing so hard.

I hope Qwest's response to this is balanced, factual, and logical, but my confidence isn't high. We shall see.

Read the full story at Verizon