NOTE: Disability Retirement Effective 05/30/2003

Current Projects

Expansion of Local Telephone Calling Areas and Lower Rates.

• When the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was passed, one of its goals was to deregulate the communications industry, another was to promulgate better telephone calling areas, and cheaper rates for consumers as a result of improved technology (the Internet is a prime example)

• Since it appears that "local" company monopolies (telephone, cable, electric, etc.) only want to make higher profits at the expense of consumers, i.e., residents, homeowners, businesses, and government, need the Telecommunications Act and other Bills to be an equal instrument for consumers.

• As a result of complaints filed pursuant to Article 78, Section 77, of the Annotated Code of Maryland, requesting an investigation into Bell Atlantic-Maryland's (BA-MD) business practices, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC), in Case # 8772, Order # 73658, ordered an investigation on August 19, 1997, into the specific requests to modify BA-MD's expanded local calling in three specific areas (Kent Island to Annapolis, northern Montgomery County to the Washington Metropolitan area, and Dunkirk and surrounding communities in the following Southern Maryland Counties (Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George's, and Saint Mary's) into and around the Washington, D.C., and Annapolis Metropolitan areas); the methodology used for determining the calling areas; the financial and rate impacts from making such changes; and the process for obtaining waivers of LATA boundary changes from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

• Competition in local telephone markets have failed to materialize because the local telephone monopolies have refused to truly open their networks to new entrants who must rely on parts of the monopoly network to provide local service. Current cases currently before the Commission demonstrate the discord between small local distributors and rates of payment claimed by Verizon. The truth is that while major telephone companies have sought to provide local telephone service outside of their home territories they have done so only where it could make big money. It appears that Verizon only raises rates and breaks promises to lower prices. To date the Bell operating companies, instead of competing with each other for local customers, bought each other, creating a small number of dominant national firms with regional monopolies that are even more immune to competitive entry.

• And as the Commission is well aware, telecommunications competition is as sturdy as a house of cards, the competition that exists is dependent on the generosity of the big Bells and giant cable companies. From local and long-distance, to wireless, to VoIP, to broadband.

• The lack of competition has consequences for all of us. Since the telecommunications marketplace does not want to fundamentally realign, we are headed on a dangerous path. The United States has slipped from third in the world in broadband to thirteenth. Americans pay more per megabit for broadband service than a dozen countries around the world. Penetration of the Internet in households has stagnated. But it’s not just broadband — we’re failing to connect households even with dial-up Internet access.

• But regardless of this the big name mergers have occurred and it appears that the vast telecommunications marketplace is now fundamentally broken and needs to be fixed. The vigorous competition that Congress had envisioned during its passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act has for all intents and purposes failed to materialize. As such Congress must again take action to correct the fundamental errors that have occurred as a result of the FCC’s failures in the implementation of the Act.

• Rather than the abundance of competition that the Bell monopoly claims they face, we see a vastly different marketplace – one where the technologies supposedly competing against the Bells simply do not compete. The forgotten new word being felt in the marketplace by consumers is called price gouging.

Married to Stella Lee (aka: Perry); Daughter Nicole Jennifer: Age 19, (genius extraordinaire, I.Q.=180); Son: Richard, age 36, and an older Daughter: Alice June, age 39, married to Colin Rager. They have a son named Colin Jr., age 18, who is going to join the U.S. Air Force.

Fishing, Swimming, Scuba Diving, Boating, and enjoying the Family

    Position: Management and Program Analyst

U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Washington, DC

Office of Systems, Finance, and Administration
Budget and Administrative Services Division
Management Information Branch

Research, develop, gather, and analyze data concerning the Management Information Report, in the Budget and Administrative Services Division, for the Retirement and Insurance Service (RIS) in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).  OPM is the repository for Federal employees, much like the Social Security Administration is for civilian employees. I contribute to the planning and carrying out of vital OPM programs that will benefit significantly to the quality, accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of service affecting the more than 4 million annuitants and Federal employees. I develop modeling tools that are used in the day-to-day operations of RIS, forecast workloads, resource requirements, etc., and assist the Divisions in the design, documentation, and installation of new work systems or major changes in existing systems and procedures. In developing responses based on the data of the project analyzed, I recommend solutions and develop any supportive directives or guidelines. I also recommend procedural modifications to increase effectiveness of existing systems, accomplish work imposed by legislative or similar requirements, or process new and unanticipated types of workloads. Make contacts for the purpose of obtaining cooperation in complying with established procedures, policies, and regulations by exploring the operational interfaces between the Service's offices and other OPM offices on technical matters, during which significant and controversial issues are discussed.

E-Mail Address: Ivan 'John' Petric <IPetricATNetzero.Net>

Phoneman Website

Home phone: 352-797-4906 (Internet/Fax)

Normal work hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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