February 28, 2002 -- "The passage of the Tauzin-Dingell bill marks a sad day in the short history of competition in telecommunications service," said Ernest B. Kelly, president of the Association of Communications Enterprises (ASCENT). "It also represents the culmination of over six years of efforts by the Bell Operating Companies and their allies to undo critical portions of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Having failed in the regulatory regimes and failed in the courts they turned to the one place where their powers of persuasion would have the most effect. Finally, it is a shameful day for the House of Representatives whose members have dealt a harsh blow to an industry that is already under terrific duress, while shortchanging consumers everywhere. We hope for and expect better from the United States Senate."

Association of Communications Enterprises (ASCENT) is a trade organization of entrepreneurial communications firms and their suppliers.

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