[EAS]UUNet Traffic

pjk pjk at design.eng.yale.edu
Wed Jul 31 16:23:00 EDT 2002


Subject:   UUNet Traffic

(from NewsScan Daily, 31 July 2002)

GOV'T MOVES TO PREVENT WORLDCOM INTERNET SHUTDOWN
After being told that the Federal Communications Commission has no 
authority to prevent WorldCom from shutting down its UUNet
subsidiary's Internet backbone should it choose to do so, Senate
Commerce Committee  Chairman Ernest Hollings (D-SC) says he will
introduce legislation by year's end to clarify the agency's authority
over Internet backbone companies. Currently, the FCC can force
WorldCom to continue providing  phone services to customers, but if it
decided to shut down UUNet in order to save money, there's no
government regulation in place to prevent it. Meanwhile, WorldCom CEO
John Sidgmore says he has no plans to cut off services for either
voice or data customers. In a similar situation last September, the
FCC was forced to go to court to prevent Rhythms Communications from
closing down its high-speed Internet access for several weeks after
the company signaled its intention to do so as part of its bankruptcy
proceedings. (Wall Street Journal 31 Jul 2002)
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1028040032754153920.djm,00.html
(sub req'd)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
According to an article in The Economist (July 27, 2002 issue), the
UUNet Internet backbone carries over half of America's Internet
traffic. But there is some comfort, as much as can be had at this
telecoms industry low point. In announcing WorldCom's bankruptcy
filing on July 22nd and their restructuring plans, WorldCom CEO John
Sidgmore said he plans to sell some assets, probably MCI
(long-distance) and SkyTel (paging services), and refocus the company
around UUNet.  --PJK





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