Washington – Open Internet rules are not a threat to investing in networks. That was the message in a letter Sprint sent to FCC Chairman Wheeler, making it clear that competition in mobile broadband has thrived under a light touch Title II regulatory regime. The Computer & Communications Industry Association welcomed the letter from Sprint, one of it’s members, as it can help clear up misinformation in the debate as the FCC considers how to ensure open Internet access for all Americans.
CCIA has filed comments with the FCC supporting Open Internet rules using its Title II authority to protect open Internet access for consumers and small businesses. The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Ed Black:
“Sprint is a prime example of how light touch regulation can spur competition, and we appreciate them speaking up at this point in the Open Internet debate and reminding us of what we can learn from the modern history of competition in the mobile phone market.
“The real goal for us all should be competitive markets so that regulation is minimally necessary. There has been much information in recent weeks from the largest Internet access providers franticly trying to prevent meaningful rules to protect access to the Open Internet. They have done everything from threaten not to invest in improving their networks to falsely claiming that the US would be regulating the Internet itself — rather than Internet access — if it adopts Open Internet rules.
“While some Internet access providers have tried to mischaracterize Open Internet proposals as attempts to ‘regulate the Internet’, what’s actually being considered is minimally regulating the providers of Internet access to make sure they don’t try to improperly regulate their customer’s use of the open Internet. At this critical juncture, we appreciate that a dynamic Internet access provider like Sprint is speaking up to support this consumer-driven, light-touch regulatory approach. Congress gave the FCC the authority under Title II to protect customer access to crucial telecommunications services which broadband Internet access now clearly is.”