Do not feed the trolls :) On Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 4:45 PM, Jack Unger <[email protected]> wrote: > It's those damn communists. They're on the march again. Quick, man the > barricades! > > Wait, I'm wrong. It's AT&T and Verizon. They're on the march again. > Quick, open the gates to the City. > > Jeff Broadwick wrote: >> REVIEW & OUTLOOK MARCH 15, 2010 >> Broadband Trojan Horse >> The FCC has a new plan but doesn't want a vote. >> Health care isn't the only policy arena in which the Obama Administration >> aims to ram through controversial new rules. The Federal Communications >> Commission is set to unveil a "national broadband plan" opposed by industry >> and without any of the five commissioners voting on it. >> >> Last year, Congress directed the FCC to develop a plan to make high-speed >> Internet available to more people. But given that 95% of Americans already >> have access to some form of broadband-and 94% can choose from at least four >> wireless carriers-rapid broadband deployment is already occurring without >> new government mandates. >> >> Since 1998, the FCC has classified broadband as an "information service" >> subject to less regulation than traditional telecom services. The Supreme >> Court's Brand X decision in 2005 validated that classification, and the >> upshot has been more investment, innovation and competition among Internet >> service providers, all to the benefit of consumers. >> >> In 2009 alone, broadband providers spent nearly $60 billion on their >> networks. Absent any evidence of market failure, the best course for the FCC >> is to report back to Congress that a broadband industrial policy is >> unnecessary. Instead, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is moving to increase >> the reach of his agency and expand government control of the Web. >> >> Among other things, he wants broadband services reclassified so the FCC can >> more heavily regulate them. The national broadband plan, to be unveiled >> tomorrow, will call for using the federal Universal Service Fund to >> subsidize broadband deployment. The USF currently subsidizes phone service >> in rural areas, and Mr. Genachowski knows that current law prevents it from >> being used to subsidize broadband unless broadband is reclassified as a >> telecom service. Congress ought to be wary of letting the FCC expand its >> jurisdiction through back doors like this. >> >> Mr. Genachowski wants more control over broadband providers so that he can >> implement "net neutrality" rules that would dictate how AT&T, Verizon and >> other Internet service providers manage their networks. To date, Congress >> has given the FCC no such authority. Nor has the agency had success in >> court. Based on oral arguments last month, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals >> is almost certain to rule against the FCC in a case involving Comcast's >> network management. >> >> At the urging of liberal advocacy groups like Free Press and Public >> Knowledge, Mr. Genachowski also wants to use the national broadband plan as >> a vehicle for returning to the bad old 1990s era of "open access" >> regulations. He recommends forcing major broadband providers like Time >> Warner Cable and Qwest to share their high-speed networks with smaller >> competitors at federally set rates. We can't think of a better way to reduce >> capital investment and slow the build-out of high-speed networks. >> >> Mr. Genachowski's proposals are meeting resistance from telecom companies >> and fellow commissioners, which is reason enough to put his broadband plan >> to an agency vote. Instead, the chairman is urging his colleagues to sign a >> general statement that endorses the goals of the plan and ignores the >> details. >> >> "Instead of risking a split vote among the five regulators on approving the >> plan," reports National Journal, "Genachowski is seeking consensus on a >> joint statement, which sources said would provide him with some political >> cover for the controversies that are certain to be triggered by some of the >> plan's recommendations." >> >> The FCC chairman and his staff have spent the better part of a year >> preparing a major report while keeping his colleagues largely in the dark. >> What happened to the Obama Administration's promise to be open and >> transparent? >> >> Copyright 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved >> >> Regards, >> >> Jeff >> >> >> Jeff Broadwick >> Sales Manager, ImageStream >> 800-813-5123 x106 (US/Can) >> +1 574-935-8484 x106 (Int'l) >> +1 574-935-8488 (Fax) >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >> http://signup.wispa.org/ >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] >> >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >> >> >> > > -- > Jack Unger - President, Ask-Wi.Com, Inc. > Network Design - Technical Training - Technical Writing > Serving the Broadband Wireless, Networking and Telecom Communities since 1993 > www.ask-wi.com 818-227-4220 [email protected] > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >
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