AT&T battles against unwelcome @Home access

AT&T is in court this week, fighting attempts by rival ISPs to access its cable networks.

At the court hearing in Portland, Oregon, AT&T said the attempts made by AOL, amongst others, to access its @Home investment contravened federal laws.

When AT&T acquired TCI earlier this year, it gained partial ownership of @Home and its cable networks. Rival ISPs since launched a lobbying effort to persuade cable providers to allow them to access the networks, in the name of fair competition.

"Portland was one of the few communities to listen, and make this the subject of a local ordinance," explained an AT&T spokesman. "It's a big problem. Technically, it can't be done today, and also it's bad public policy which contravenes federal telecommunications law," he told Silicon.com.

AT&T believes that DSL and satellite technologies provide enough competition in the nascent broadband market.

Judges in Portland are expected to deliver their verdict shortly.