Additional groups voiced opposition to and support for broadband ...
Additional groups voiced opposition to and support for broadband regulatory parity bill introduced this week (CD May 1 p1) by Sen. Breaux (R-La.) and Senate Minority Whip Nickles (R-Okla.). Bill, which would give FCC 120 days to eliminate regulatory…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
distinctions between Bells and cable industry in provision of high-speed Internet access, is “a giant leap backward,” American ISP Assn. Exec. Dir. Sue Ashdown said: “The problem is that the giant Bell company monopolies refuse to abide by the law and allow competitors parity in access to our publicly subsidized networks as mandated by the ‘96 Act.” Frontiers of Freedom (FF), a group led by former Sen. Malcolm Wallop (R-Wyo.), said bill was “based on a false premise” and would harm consumers: “The problem is supply, not demand… [Consumers] will embrace broadband even more when the price drops and when more applications are made available.” Consumers’ Voice expressed similar concerns. Alliance for Public Technology said “disparate regulatory structure” among ILECs, cable, satellite and wireless companies was one of major causes for lack of broadband deployment. Communications Workers of America (CWA) also pledged support for Breaux-Nickles. CWA Pres. Morton Bahr said: “Competition to build multiple broadband networks using different technologies will spur job growth and will foster the development of new and lower priced Internet services for consumers.”