Looks like we are going to hear a lot about FTTP/H/C in days to come. I think FCC will rule favorably and hand over monoply players a new 100-year-lease on life at the expense of consumers. Competition is dead! SBC is feeling pretty confident.

SBC plans to begin early next year deploying fiber to neighborhood nodes, with short copper connections to homes and businesses, so it can deliver much faster broadband services. Not knowing how it might have to treat that network has forced the carrier to hold back on deployment, Rice said. Even if the FCC’s decision is less favorable, just having one will help kickstart SBC’s deployment.

I think the best summation of the mess we consumers are likely to face over years to come, has been succiently summed up by one of my readers, Doc McClenny.

The business case for more wires will only be made if the regulatory regime reflects the real costs for networks as well as removes barriers to entry in building new networks. Right now, the wierd market distortions, both at the federal, state, and local levels, make it very unlikely for new wired competitors to emerge to build out new networks in the US.