The FCC is gathering information as it considers ways to fostercompetition under the 1996 Telecommunications Act. In a nutshell, thetelecommunications industry wants to ensure it has access to buildings,while building owners argue they should be able to negotiate the termsof access.

According to the survey conducted for Real Access Alliance, 94% of the454 respondents say telecommunications services offered in theirbuildings meet their needs. Only 1% say requests for servicesfrom an outside provider were denied.

"The survey suggests that today's tenants are savvy abouttelecommunications choices and are quite satisfied with the servicesoffered in multi-tenant buildings," says alliance spokesman Roger Platt."The findings. . . underscore our longstanding assertion that buildingowners put tenants' needs first by offering cutting-edgetelecommunications services."

Platt calls the FCC's proposed mandatory building access rules akin to"national rent control, but just for one kind of tenant: the telecomtenant. . . We're saying the premise of regulation is completelywrongheaded. The premise is that somehow building owners are notsufficiently motivated in a competitive market to expedite access to thebuilding of telecom providers that tenants actually want to have."

Other survey findings: 91% say they know they can choose alternativetelecom providers; 23% say they have placed a service request with anoutside provider and 87% had their service requests accepted; and 40%say they would consider moving if their telecommunications needs aren'tmet.

Platt says the alliance has developed a draft model licensing agreement,slated to be unveiled this week, along with a set of industry "bestpractices" for dealing with telecommunications issues. The FCC notedboth efforts in its October order.