TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Baby Bells Hesitant on Legislative Compromise: The regional telephone companies, noting that 80 pages of last-minute changes have been added to a telecommunications reform bill since they shook hands on a compromise Monday, said they will try to amend the proposal now making its way through the Senate. “We have agreed to support the process to move forward to mark-up on this bill . . . but we are going to press for an amendment on Thursday,” said Bill McCloskey, spokesman for the Bells Task Force lobby. The Bells said they are concerned about added regulatory burdens and what they called new provisions that would delay their entering the cable business. The Senate Commerce Committee is expected to approve the bill Thursday, but the stage is set for a fierce floor battle over amendments.