TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Firm Seeks to Compete With Pacific Bell, GTE: Teleport Communications Group asked the California Public Utilities Commission to allow it to compete against the companies in the local telephone market. The two big phone utilities hold monopolies on such service throughout most of California. Current law prohibits competition, but state regulators have indicated they intend to open telecommunications services to all comers, including cable companies. Teleport, based in Staten Island, N.Y., wants to offer local phone service to companies providing access to the Internet and other computer-based information resources.