IP Democracy: Congressional Staffers: We're Stuck with the FCC

(Silver Spring, MD) No matter what Congress decides on net neutrality, the FCC will inevitably play a central role in implementing any net neutrality laws, according to a panel of congressional staffers speaking here today at the Freedom-to-Connect conference.

“The FCC is what we’ve got,” Josh Lamel, Legislative Counsel for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said. “The FCC is who our government looks to to handle regulation, deregulation. We can disagree with what the FCC does in interpreting something…but if we don’t turn to the FCC, who do we turn to?”

The Barton bill’s delegation of net neutrality disputes to the Commission, which will adjudicate those disputes according to a set of broadband policy “principles,” has sparked an outcry among net neutrality proponents. These pro-regulation advocates say legislation should mandate more stringent requirements and they don’t trust the FCC left to its own devices.

“To some degree this debate is premised on how much you trust the regulatory agency to handle problems as they come up,” James Assey, Minority Counsel of the Senate Commerce Committee said. To whatever degree the FCC is empowered to regulate, it seems clear that ultimate telecom reform legislation will, in fact, have some form of net neutrality requirement.

“Not having any net neutrality at all is politically a no-go because there are issues here about whether we have a competitive marketplace,” Dana Lichtenberg, Legislative Assistant to Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) said.

Still, network neutrality proponents should be cautious about asking government to solve their problems, Mike O’Rielly, Legislative Assistant to Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) said. “If you’re counting on government to solve a lot of the issues I don’t think you’re on the side of reality right now.”

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on April 3, 2006 2:21 PM to IP Democracy