FCC allows AT&T to keep broadband prices confidential

The FCC's decision enables AT&T to keep pricing information confidential instead of publicly disclosing the data through FCC reports, which allows competitors to know details of AT&T's business plans. The FCC said it granted the relief because a competitive enterprise broadband market has emerged.

AT&T won a partial victory when the Federal Communications Commission granted the nation's largest carrier regulatory relief on some charges to business customers and rivals using AT&T's broadband lines. The FCC gave similar relief to Verizon last year.

The relief will enable AT&T to have the flexibility to further deploy its broadband services and fiber facilities without overly burdensome regulations.

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The FCC action does not become effective until Dec. 29, 2010, when the conditions attached to the AT&T-BellSouth merger expire.

To address the concerns of smaller carriers who rely on access to AT&T's high-speed lines and are worried about the carrier's ability to dictate pricing, the FCC also approved a pricing complaint procedure. The FCC dictated that any complaint against AT&T must be resolved within five months.

While AT&T had sought wider relief than granted, the company praised the decision. In a statement, AT&T said that the "FCC appears to have continued its successful pro-investment broadband policy, allowing for multiple providers to build out new wired and wireless networks to better compete for business customers."

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