GSA's effort to switch agencies' local telecom providers behind schedule

The implementation of the government's Metropolitan Area Acquisition (MAA) program that provides local telecommunications services to federal agencies in certain areas is behind schedule, according to a General Accounting Office report released Monday.

"Some of the sizable implementation problems" such as access to networks, the transfer of local numbers to another carrier and the financial hardships of MAA contractors contribute to the slow pace of program implementation, said the report, "Telecommunications: GSA Action Needed to Realize Benefits of Metropolitan Area Acquisition Program" (GAO-02-325).

Of the 19 areas designated to transition to other telecom providers by March, five were successful.

For example, St. Louis, Minneapolis and Cincinnati are done, but after 18 months, Dallas has completed 22 percent of its transition and after 17 months Albuquerque, N.M., has completed 12 percent of its transition.