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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Chairman testifies in favor of FCC's net-neutrality plan, admits rural broadband remains a concern

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler testified in a House Small Business Committee hearing on Wednesday in support of net neutrality and elimination of "the 'digital divide' that has saddled rural areas with slow-or-no Internet and dropped calls," reports Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter. Critics have been skeptical of the FCC's proposed net neutrality rules, saying the rules will hurt consumers and small businesses instead of creating Internet equality.

Wheeler "pointed out that the record 3.7 million comments the FCC has received since May on its proposed new Internet rules 'are wildly in support of open Internet requirements,'" Agri-Pulse reports. Wheeler told legislators: “I bring 30 years of experience as small business person, including the scars of my companies being denied access to networks and I am a fervent believer in open Internet.”

But not all his congressional questioners were pleased with Wheeler's fervency, Agri-Pulse notes. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) a farmer, said he has “concerns about how a more heavily regulated Internet is going to affect small businesses.” Tom Rice (R-S.C.) a tax attorney, "pressed the issue further, asserting that enforcing rules to require net neutrality 'will stifle innovation.'” 

Wheeler admitted that the FCC has yet to come up with answers to connect the 12 million rural Americans lacking broadband access, Agri-Pulse reports. "Wheeler reported that Phase I of the FCC's Connect America Fund (CAF) will 'make broadband available to 1.6 million unserved Americans' and that Phase II will connect another 5 million. He said these 'rural broadband experiments will help us achieve our goal of delivering world-class voice and broadband networks to rural America.'” (Read more)

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