LETTERS: LOCAL COMPETITION SHOULD COME FIRST

To the editor:

In both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, bills have been proposed that could open the door to competition for local telephone service.

Why should you care if competition can be introduced in the local phone service market? Simply because consumers always get a better deal when they can choose from suppliers competing for your business.

In the long-distance business, competition has proven to be a dazzling success. In the 11 years since my company started to really compete for your business, the industry's prices have dropped 66 percent. New technology has been deployed at an unprecedented rate. And customers now choose from an incredible array of special packages to suit their own needs.

At AT&T, we think customers would gain the same benefits if real competition for local phone service could be introduced. When local competition actually exists, we will welcome the Bell companies into the long-distance market, which currently is off limits to them.

But to work for customers, we must make sure of two things: First, we must establish real local competition before the Bells are allowed into competitive markets like long distance, and, second, we need a federal agency like the Department of Justice to verify that local competition actually exists before the Bells enter other businesses.

If you agree that real competition for local phone service would be a good deal, ask your elected officials to insist on local competition first.

ROBERT E. ALLEN, Chairman

AT&T

Basking Ridge, N.J.