Kerry Renews Call For Open Net Rules
While encouraging the two sides to continue to engage in constructive talks on the issue, Senate Commerce Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., Thursday renewed his call for the FCC to use the authority it currently has to ensure the openness of the Internet.
"I remain open to and am actively working on a legislative solution to ensure that law reflects the growing consensus that the open Internet must be preserved and promoted, but I also believe that the FCC has the authority, ability, and responsibility to use its regulatory authority under existing law to preserve Internet freedom with or without a new law," Kerry said in a statement.
His comments come one day after the FCC issued a public notice Wednesday seeking additional comment on its open Internet proceeding. The notice asks for comment on whether open Internet rules should apply to mobile broadband and "specialized" services. Last month, Verizon and Google released a proposed legislative framework that calls for exempting both services from open Internet rules, which would bar network providers from discriminating against or prioritizing Internet content or applications, while applying such rules only to wireline broadband.
Kerry along with other key congressional Democrats and public interest groups have urged the FCC to move to strengthen its authority over broadband providers by reclassifying some aspects of broadband as a telecommunication service - a move that would allow the agency to move forward on open Internet rules. The commission's authority over broadband providers was put in doubt after an April federal appeals court ruling. The FCC took the first step in June toward reclassifying broadband.
If Kerry was looking for further FCC action in the near term on the issue he'll have to wait. The FCC did not include the reclassification issue on the agenda for its next meeting on Sept 23.
Instead, the commission will act on such matters as allowing unlicensed wireless devices to use unused parts of television spectrum known as white spaces and updating the E-rate program that provides subsidies for Internet access in schools and libraries.
Join the Discussion
The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.
Comments powered by Disqus