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25 Jun 2008
AT&T is facing a trial in the US Supreme Court over alleged antitrust violations concerning access fees to the internet.
The case, Pacific Bell Telephone Company (which became AT&T) versus LinkLine Communications, was brought after local ISPs complained that AT&T was charging too much for wholesale internet connections.
The ISPs had argued that this made it impossible for them to compete with AT &T's own services.
Maxwell Blecher, a lawyer for LinkLine who was named 1998 Antitrust Lawyer of the Year by the California State Bar, claimed that AT&T set prices so high for outside operators that competition was impossible.
AT&T, meanwhile, has always maintained that its prices are fair and reasonable.
The case against AT&T was initially accepted by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which said that such price fixing had gone on for 60 years. AT&T has now asked the Supreme Court to rules on the matter.
"We are pleased that the US Supreme Court has agreed to hear our appeal," AT &T said in a statement.
AT&T is planning to argue that the case is not covered under existing antitrust legislation and should therefore be dismissed.
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Do you agree?
ATT....one of the strongest monopolies in the USA
They surely don't care about you or me. They care about their own profits EXCLUSIVELY! They have managed to drag us to the bottom of the barrel when it comes to high speed Internet connections in civilized countries. American's should be embarrassed and down right angry that they have allowed this to happen. The FCC should all be fired and replaced with people that CARE ABOUT THE COUNTRY THAT THEY SUPPOSEDLY REPRESENT! Yes, it's true that ATT prices their wholesale products so that nobody can compete with their retail pricing. Should that be illegal? I think that when they are doing this using the right of ways that the government gave them free and clear to use, the answer is a resounding YES it should be illegal. It would be illegal for any company (ask the folks at Microsoft) to hold a service so that nobody could possibly compete against you.
Posted by: Mad in Louisiana 26 Jun 2008