Telecommunications
CCIA's
Mission
CCIA straddles the two worlds of telecom and IT. Our
association is committed to vigorous competition in every market and submarket
of our industry. CCIA supports open IP interconnection, interoperability,
roaming rights for independent carriers and non-discriminatory access to the
Internet for consumers, small businesses and online applications. We support the FCC’s Open Internet
rule. We believe that no company or
pair of companies should dominate U.S. telecommunications network infrastructure,
and that households need alternatives to regional cable Internet access
monopolies.
CCIA's Policy
Objectives
Most homes in the United States have either a copper or
fiber optic line provided by a telephone company or a coaxial cable connection
for Internet access. Few can still
afford both. Once confined to
separate and limited functions like voice calling vs. one way video programming
distribution, these wires are now capable of carrying a wide range of competing
voice, data and video services, indeed everything available on the global
Internet. The Telecom Act of 1996
and advances in fiber optic and cable technology promoted and facilitated
competition between these two landline network platforms during the first
decade of the 21st century.
However, deregulation and snowballing industry consolidation has led to
a lessening of competition and choices for residential and small business fixed
Internet access. Nineteen million
Americans lack access to any wired broadband connection, much less competing
providers. The largest two wireless carriers are also the largest two providers
of high speed data lines to American businesses (smaller wireless rivals
included) and operate as virtual monopolies in their geographic home
territory.
CCIA and its members support the dynamic innovation that
characterizes the independent mobile broadband market and mobile app
development. Unfortunately, the
largest legacy monopoly carriers often resist business model disruptions made
possible by new technology and the potential new competition it might bring. To
realize the benefits of IP convergence, lawmakers and government agencies must
update our nation's policies to comport with today’s telecom infrastructure realities,
including local access bottlenecks, both wired and wireless, while reducing
barriers to entry and striving to foster competitive open markets.
CCIA supports the FCC’s transitioning of the Universal Service
Fund (USF) to a Connect America Fund (CAF) in order to advance broadband deployment
in rural and other unserved areas. Congress and federal agencies must work diligently to enact
policies that will reinvigorate broadband access competition, increase broadband
connectivity for all Americans, stimulate domestic economic growth and preserve
U.S. competitiveness in a global digital economy.
