CCIA Calls for Major Changes to Senate Telecom Bill

File Under: 2006, Telecommunications

Jun 21, 2006

For Immediate Release

In a letter sent Wednesday morning, CCIA President Ed Black told Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman Ted Stevens that The Communications, Consumers’ Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 (S. 2686) would do serious damage to innovation and consumer rights, while doing little to promote the national goal of rapid deployment of broadband Internet service. Black urged Stevens either to make several changes to the bill, or else delay a vote in order to assess the concerns of the innovators, communicators, and consumers who would be affected by the bill.

“CCIA had hoped that some greater consensus and compromise could have been achieved on key issues, but, with no compromise likely, it was time to choose,” Black said. “We have historic commitments to open, competitive, and dynamic markets, which in turn drive innovation and consumer well being. This battle is essential to the health of telecommunications and Internet ."

The bill, Black wrote:

• Does little to correct distortions created by the current USF process --Places the Federal Communications Commission at the heart of a centrally-planned, regime for regulating the design of computers, consumer electronics, and software;
  
• Burdens VoIP providers with a layer of regulation soundly rejected nearly a decade ago; and
  
• Fails to ensure open and dynamic competition on the Internet despite provisions that are supposed to promote Network Neutrality.

"This bill perpetuates counterproductive aspects of USF policy and imposes unreasonable obligations on VoIP providers,” Black said. “The bill does nothing to actually implement network neutrality protections on the grounds that they would amount to 'over-regulation.' At the same time it imposes so-called 'Flag' mandates that will make the FCC the new federal gatekeeper of innovation. The competitiveness of our industry stands to suffer considerably under these burdens."

Read the letter here.

Contact: Will Rodger, 202-783-0070 ext. 105