Yesterday, during a speech at the Brookings Institute, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed new rules that would affect Internet access providers.
Saying the FCC must be a "smart cop on the beat preserving a free and open Internet," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Monday proposed adding two new Internet access principles to the existing four, and will begin the process of codifying all of them with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking at the FCC’s October meeting.
In a written statement, NCTA’s President & CEO Kyle McSlarrow applauded Genachowski’s "vision of preserving an open Internet in order to promote entrepreneurship without permission." He reiterated the cable industry’s commitment "to an open Internet that allows consumers to use and enjoy lawful content and services of their choosing."
He also said:
We recognize that we may, however, have a different view about the state of competition and the choices and benefits that flow to consumers from that competition. While we look forward to working with Chairman Genachowski and his colleagues, we will continue to present facts and data to the Commission that suggest that any regulation in this arena should be approached with great caution and only in the most targeted way, and to advocate policies that avoid government entanglement in operational decisions that could undermine the very dynamism of the Internet we all seek to preserve.
David L. Cohen, on the Comcast Voices blog, also indicated their support for the process.
We welcome the dialogue suggested by the Chairman in his comments, and we completely agree that any consideration of new “rules of the road” begin with notice and an open, public rulemaking proceeding – this is both fair and appropriate.
A tweet from Julian Sanchez yesterday raised an interesting point. There are those who may object to any government regulation at all. There are also those who may reflexively support any regulation that seems to be opposed by "big companies."
Previously, we noted on this blog how the "net neutrality" debate has evolved over time. NCTA has consistently supported our customers’ ability to travel the Internet freely; our Internet access service wouldn’t be of much use without that. But the devil is always in the details and while we have always supported fair rules, it will be critical to move forward carefully.