Industrywide Trust Key to Broadband Legislation, APT Panelists Say
Conflicts in the communications industry keep it from achieving legislative goals as well as industries like farming and transportation, said panelists at an Alliance for Public Technology (APT) panel on achieving universal broadband Fri. Carriers, content providers and tech companies squabble, and none has a trusting relationship with regulators or legislators -- preventing the kind of public- private partnerships needed to gain full adoption, they said. They criticized govt. agencies but called govt. participation important, if only to set a national agenda. Some decried the incompleteness of the FCC’s data collection, saying it could become a big political issue this Congress.
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The first telecom bill in 10 years “got hamstrung” on net neutrality, a small matter compared with developing a communications policy for the 21st century, said Alec Ross of the One Economy Foundation. Because the conflicting interests couldn’t set aside their differences, the bill died, he said. Ross called the communications world “creatures” of the Commerce Committees and the FCC, “and many lawmakers see it the same way.” To get a unified agenda, all players must start working outside their boxes, Ross said, citing the successful ConnectKentucky program spearheaded by fellow panelist Brian Mefford.
That program made Ky. the quickest-growing state for broadband penetration the 2 years since it started, with a 46% increase in household penetration and a 17% increase in home computer ownership, Mefford said. Key to the program’s success was precise knowledge of which households in the state had broadband access. That “connectivity map” was enabled by the trust between private and public organizations sharing data, he said. Several audience members from Cal. expressed frustration with carriers’ unwillingness to share information on which households are served, and Mefford said ConnectKentucky’s status as a nongovernmental agency greatly helped, because the service providers knew their data wouldn’t be made public.
The speakers offered policy proposals. Ross suggested a simple rewrite of the law that keeps the $12.5 billion in Capital Fund grant money from going to bringing broadband to public housing because it’s classified as “entertainment.” Broadband in schools, through E-Rate and other programs, should be a “no-brainer,” said Albert Browne of the Verizon Foundation.
Revamping the FCC’s data-collection techniques is the first step in getting a coherent universal broadband policy together, said Kenneth Peres, an economist for the CWA and the APT. Several in attendance echoed his comments, and one industry expert said the debate over FCC data collection could become a sleeper issue this Congress. These comments added to the recent string of calls for better data collection, including remarks last week by House Telecom & Internet Subcommittee Chmn. Markey (D-Mass.)(CD Feb 2 p9, Feb 1 p8, Jan 31 p3).
Markey to Push FCC on DTV
Markey said he will “spearhead” a fight with the FCC, if necessary, to get answers on public interest aspects of the DTV transition. The Commission has avoided making a decision on the issue for years, “with no end in sight,” he said, adding that “I plan to bring… the proceedings to a conclusion.” The information is necessary to make legislative decisions regarding set-top box waivers, he said. Touting his long record of bipartisan consensus on communications bills, he said action by the FCC is necessary to hold adequate hearings, allowing members to “respond in a bipartisan way.” Markey was honored by APT Fri. for his closed captioning and E-rate legislative efforts.