Because of the Comcast v. FCC decision, the commission needs...
Because of the Comcast v. FCC decision, the commission needs to move quickly to open a proceeding to classify high-speed Internet services as a telecommunications service, Executive Director Markham Erickson of the Open Internet Coalition said on a teleconference. There’s…
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concern that the commission’s 2005 Internet policy statement isn’t enough to protect consumers and that the “FCC’s ancillary authority wasn’t strong enough to survive a legal attack if it were put to the test,” he said. Christopher Libertelli, Skype’s director of government and regulatory affairs, said, “The Comcast decision in many ways was a blessing.” Some National Broadband Plan recommendations, like expansion of the Universal Service Fund to increase broadband access and the truth in labeling provisions, are at risk, they said. Reclassifying broadband would aid follow-through on the plan and put the commission on “more stable legal footing,” Libertelli said. He suggested a Title II “light” set-up allowing ISPs flexibility but giving the FCC a “legal foundation to implement its agenda.” Regulation would be “no more or less complicated and difficult to sustain” than under Title I, he said. Without reclassification, “we're left with a situation where the consumers will have no protection.”