(ALBUQUERQUE)---Attorney General Gary King released a report today showing that New Mexico ranks dead last in America for telecommunications competition. The report, prepared by expert consultants to the AG's office, shows only eight percent (8%) of New Mexicans are served by competitive telecommunications companies. By comparison, the states with the highest competitive penetration -- Rhode Island and Arizona -- enjoy forty eight percent (48%) and thirty four (34%) percent market share respectively by competitive communications companies.

 

"I am very concerned about New Mexicans being denied basic phone service or Internet connectivity and I'm asking the Public Regulations Commission to take long term measures to protect the consumer," says Attorney General King. "Since 1996 at the federal level and 2000 in New Mexico, policy makers and legislators have been trying to bring the promise of advanced communications at affordable rates to all New Mexicans, yet for a variety of reasons this hasn't happened yet."

 

The Attorney General believes that promoting telecommunications competition would lessen the need for government regulation. Factors such as disparities between wholesale and retail rates, relatively low population density, and resistance among the state's largest phone companies (known asILECs or "incumbent local exchange carriers") have made New Mexico a difficult place to operate for many companies wishing to compete.

 

As the recent billing dispute between Qwest and SkyWi shows, consumers are not being adequately protected from service outages outside their control. In December and January approximately 7,000 New Mexicans suffered a temporary dislocation of service whenQwest cut off SkyWi circuits over protracted billing disputes.