Over the Panties, Under the Bra

Sorry, it is just so very funny to watch FCC chief Kevin Martin get date-raped by Verizon after Martin has done his very best to give the Bells everything they want—all while trying not to look like a little slut in the process.

To recap, after the FCC prevailed upon the telcos to abandon the totally bogus Universal Service Fee on DSL lines, a couple telcos immediately tried to slip it back in. Bell South tried charging a no-good-reason $2.97 monthly fee in its stead, but dropped the fee after its suits and lobbyists figured that the gouging might complicate the merger with AT&T.

Verizon is sticking with its out-the-ass "supplier surcharge" which Verizon says is needed to recoup its "losses" when it offers naked DSL to customers. Naked DSL is, of course, DSL service without an accompanying USF-paying local landline. Getting dizzy yet?

One wild guess: Verizon is forcing Martin and the FCC to admit that land-line service is dead as a door nail and it is OK to begin moving out of that business. Or maybe Verizon really is that rapacious. We'll see.

Up next month, AT&T leaves Martin's number on a bathroom wall.

Update: Verizon has flipped and has now killed the fee as well.