Capitol Hill
Don’t forget rural consumers when thinking about the Comcast-NBC Universal deal, said the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies. In a letter last week to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., and Ranking Member Lamar Smith, R-Texas, OPASTCO said it’s “concerned that this merger will lead to reduced availability of video content for small, independent video and broadband service providers.” Small rural carriers fear the new company “will charge too much for its video content, block or restrict the ability of our members to provide programming to consumers, or prioritize the delivery of its own content to the detriment of consumers.” The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Comcast-NBC Universal deal Thursday (WID Feb 26 p3).
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The Alliance for Digital Equality backed a Universal Service Fund bill by Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., that would establish three E-rate pilot programs supporting broadband adoption. The alliance has a program in Georgia that provides 50,000 students with online homework help. “Unfortunately, there is still a digital divide that exists today and as a result, many minority and low-income Americans still do not realize the benefits of the digital revolution,” said Alliance Chairman Julius Hollis. “Without affordable access to the vast opportunity that broadband access allows, these already disadvantaged citizens are falling further behind."