x close

Because every American
should have access
to broadband Internet.

The Internet Innovation Alliance is a broad-based coalition of business and non-profit organizations that aim to ensure every American, regardless of race, income or geography, has access to the critical tool that is broadband Internet. The IIA seeks to promote public policies that support equal opportunity for universal broadband availability and adoption so that everyone, everywhere can seize the benefits of the Internet - from education to health care, employment to community building, civic engagement and beyond.

What is IIA?

The Podium

Tuesday, May 18

print this page

“Congress Should Step In”

By Bruce Mehlman

From a May 16 Detroit News editorial reacting to the FCC’s proposed regulations of the Internet:

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski told a group of cable operators in Los Angeles last week that if his colleagues adopt his regulatory proposals, the FCC will have a policy of “forbearance” on heavy-handed regulation of the net. But why should they believe him? After all, he proposed his plan just days after a federal court told him his agency didn’t have the authority to do what he now plans to do.

In the end, this is a much bigger issue. If the FCC can regulate the distribution of bandwidth, it can ultimately claim the right to regulate content and decide who has access to the Web and who doesn’t.

Congress should step in and put the FCC back in its place.

1 Comments

Tags: title ii, fcc, net neutrality, regulations, editorials

Share
Permalink
Reader Comments

Wow, this Detroit News article is majorly wrong in its 2 main points, but you push it anyway?

“Forbearance” isn’t some fuzzy concept, but a term of art.  The FCC would expressly limit its Title II jurisdiction to only some of the regulatory issues.  You know that.

By their slippery slope argument, the FCC’s jurisdiction over wireless spectrum allocation would eventually let them control who says what to whom over the phone.  That’s wrong, and you know it.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  05/18  at  06:23 AM
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.

Next entry: From Gmail to a Reprimand

Previous entry: Gambling & Taxes

« Back to Blog Home