Telecom Expert Named CEO of Phone Firms’ Trade Group
Earl W. Comstock, an influential Republican and telecommunications expert, will take charge of a newly reorganized trade group of rivals to the regional telephone giants.
Industry association CompTel/ALTS said Thursday that Comstock, a partner in a Washington law firm, would start as president and chief executive June 1.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. May 14, 2005 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday May 14, 2005 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 2 inches; 80 words Type of Material: Correction
Telecommunications trade group -- An article in Friday’s Business section about the naming of Earl W. Comstock to be chief executive of a trade group for telephone companies reported that analyst Jessica Zufolo of Medley Global Advisors said Comstock’s legal work might have hurt his chances for winning confirmation to the Federal Communications Commission. In fact, that suggestion was made by a person inside the FCC and a telecommunications consultant, neither of whom would agree to be quoted by name.
Comstock had been considered a top prospect to take a seat on the Federal Communications Commission before he withdrew last month.
Trade publications reported that Comstock dropped out because his family’s nanny did not have a proper visa. Comstock, who did not return calls seeking comment, also may have fallen from favor by taking a strong position on a key telecom issue, analysts said.
As a lawyer for Internet service provider EarthLink Inc., he supports the right of Internet service providers to use the cable industry’s high-speed Internet access to serve their customers.
That may have hurt his chances to get on the commission because large cable and phone companies want to get out from under such regulations, suggested analyst Jessica Zufolo at Medley Global Advisors.
A former aide to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Comstock was one of the key congressional aides who drafted the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The law was aimed at spurring competition in the local phone networks owned by the regional firms.
Comstock said in prepared remarks that the rivals, through the law’s competition rules, had pushed new technologies like high-speed Internet access to consumers, driven down prices and offered better service.
“My job,” he said, “will be to help convince Congress and the FCC not to eliminate [other] pro-competitive requirements.”
