FCC rejects Qwest's forbearance bid

The Federal Communications Commission denied Qwest Communications' highly controversial petition for forbearance from wholesale pricing regulation in four of its major markets. Yes, forbearance petitions are always controversial, but Qwest's bid for network access charge freedom in Denver, Minneapolis, Seattle and Phoenix drew intense debate, accusations and media coverage over several months as action on the petition initially was delayed

The FCC's vote against forbearance was unanimous--5-0. Qwest has won approval for a forbearance petition before, in Omaha, Neb. AT&T and Verizon also each have won forbearance petitions, though others have been denied, and the FCC clearly has weighed the competitive realities of each market that has been the subject of a petition.

For more:
- see this story at The Denver Post

Related articles:
Qwest competitors aggressively argued their case against forbearance. Qwest report
The forbearance petition process is the target  of a new legislative proposal. Forbearance report