March 2010

Republicans Signal Major Concerns Over Broadband Plan

Republicans have signaled their major concerns, and likely lines of questioning, about the national broadband plan in a briefing memo to Republican congressional members and staff in advance of the March 25 broadband oversight hearing with the five Federal Communications Commission commissioners.

While a broadband hearing in the Senate had to be cancelled at the last minute earlier this week, the House Communications Subcommittee hearing is expected to go off as planned/ In the memo, the Republicans suggest the broadband plan essentially confirms the success of a free market that has resulted in 95% broadband penetration, and two-thirds adoption. "By continuing our deregulatory policies, we can beat the new plan's goal of making 100 Mbps service available to 100 million homes by 2020," says the memo. They said that doesn't mean they don't like some elements of the plan, including efforts to "cut waste" in the Universal Service Fund, and freeing up more spectrum. The Republicans argue that if the Democrats had not defeated their efforts to target broadband stimulus bucks to unserved areas, rather than include underserved as well, broadband deployment might have been "even further down the road by now." As to the FCC plan to free up 500 MHz of spectrum by 2020, the Republicans say that could advance broadband while generating needed revenue, but only if the FCC does not "give the spectrum away or rig auctions with conditions."

Verizon calls on Congress to rethink Internet oversight, could take away power from FCC

Verizon Communications is calling on Congress to rethink the way the federal government oversees Internet services, with recommendations that could take away power from the Federal Communications Commission just one week after it unveiled a decade-long plan to bring broadband Internet to the nation.

Verizon Executive Vice President Tom Tauke said at a tech policy event sponsored by the New Democrat Network on Wednesday that the authority of the FCC over broadband is "at best murky." It was the most forceful statements yet by Verizon in a growing debate over the FCC's oversight of broadband services. A court challenge by Comcast has raised fresh doubts about the agency's authority over those services, prompting some interest groups to push the FCC to reclassify broadband services more concretely under its control. But as the Internet quickly evolves, Tauke proposed Congress look at whether the federal government should retool its approach. Instead of a regulatory agency making rules for the Web, he said, Congress should consider itself or an agency as an enforcement body - determining bad players who violate consumer protections, for example, on a case-by-case basis. That would supplant the FCC's rule-making approach to oversight, where it currently issues competition, consumer protection and access rules for communications services providers.

"In my view, the current statute is badly out of date. Now is the time to focus on updating the law affecting the Internet," Tauke said in his speech. "To fulfill broadband's potential, it's time for Congress to take a fresh look at our nation's communications policy framework."

National broadband dreamin'

[Commentary] The National Broadband Plan is a challenge for our industry.

Some are calling it a dream. In my opinion, the NBP is a document of substance, of immense importance and one that should serve as the vision and blueprint for this nation's broadband-enabled future. The NBP's authors put it into context right from the beginning. The NBP asserts that broadband is the first 21st century national infrastructure play, on par the with grand projects of the 19th and 20th centuries -- the transcontinental railroad, rural electrification, universally available telephone, radio and television services, and the interstate highway system. Even more significant are the NBP's overarching long-term goals -- and how these goals will challenge service providers, their customers and their vendors.

The NBP is an American dream. Its challenges are daunting, but its promise is a grand vision of a broadband future for this country. Ten years out, we're hoping that the plan becomes a dream fulfilled.

Providers register mixed reactions to FCC's broadband plan

The National Broadband Plan contains many good ideas, but it also leaves the door open to new regulations of broadband providers, representatives of providers said Tuesday. T

he broadband plan recognizes that private investment will largely pay for the broadband networks of the future, including the goal of bringing 100Mbps of broadband service to 100 million U.S. homes by 2020, said James Cicconi, senior executive vice president for external and legislative affairs at AT&T. But the plan does not, in an outright manner, reject calls from some consumer-focused groups to reclassify broadband providers as common carriers, subject to a broad set of regulations from the Federal Communications Commission. The facts in the plan show a major "success story" for broadband deployment in the United States, but the tone of the plan suggests that the FCC believes more government intervention is needed, said Kyle McSlarrow, president and CEO of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.

NTCA's take on the National Broadband Plan

NTCA's summary of the National Broadband Plan.

OPASTCO asks for quick steps before longer USF, ICC reform

The Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies has been visiting the Federal Communications Commission to discuss the needs of rural, rate of return (RoR)-regulated incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) to continue expanding broadband availability, speeds, and adoption in their service territories and to provide advanced services that remain reasonably comparable to those offered in urban areas and at reasonably comparable rates.

Prior to the adoption of comprehensive Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation (ICC) reform, OPASTCO said, the FCC should quickly adopt rules to: 1) broaden the base of USF contributors to include, at a minimum, all broadband Internet access providers, 2) mitigate phantom traffic, and 3) clarify that VoIP providers are subject to ICC when their traffic terminates on the public switched telephone network.

A conversation with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski

An interview of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski -- mainly concerning the National Broadband Plan. Chairman Genachowski seemed confident that, at a minimum, simply giving consumers access to data--how fast their broadband connections actually are, where there are dead spots, and what other ISPs around the country are charging--will prove to be a powerful tool in spurring competition (I tend to agree). He very strongly reiterated his commitment to a neutral and open Internet, which was reassuring.

Two ISPs In A Market Does Not Mean There's Competition

[Commentary] According to the National Broadband Plan, 78% of the public already has the choice of two providers. Of course a duopoly doesn't mean there's competition. In duopoly markets, massive phone and cable incumbents essentially stare at each other waiting for the next opportunity to raise broadband or TV prices, jack up early termination fees, or impose the latest absurd fee. Sure, you'll see some competition on things like channel counts, but this "competition" is usually based largely on superficial perceptions of value, not price. Carriers also lag on network upgrades if their sole competitor agrees an area isn't worth upgrading.

CDT's Harris asks FCC about protections for innovators

Leslie Harris is president of the Center for Democracy & Technology, a public interest group. She asks the Federal Communications Commission if the national broadband plan will include liability protections for Internet innovators.

At stake for Google in China: Smart phone empire

In its public wrangling with the Chinese government, Google not only risks losing access to millions of personal computers in China but also its toehold in the world's largest cellphone market.

The American Internet giant has been providing handset manufacturers its Android operating system for free in hopes of penetrating a country where, soon, more people are expected to access the Internet on mobile phones than on desktop computers. Although it is a distant second on computer searches, Google is nearly tied for first with Baidu Inc. for market share in China's nascent mobile-search sector. But the company's ambitions are in jeopardy now that Google has raised the ire of Beijing by redirecting Internet users in China on Tuesday to an uncensored search engine in Hong Kong. Analysts say the Chinese government could pressure partners to sever ties with the company. And Google has acknowledged the possibility that its products could be blocked any day by censors.

Benton

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