IP Democracy: Cable Amendments Seek to Up Build-Out Requirements

While net neutrality proponents seek to amend the Barton bill moving through mark-up today, the cable industry is trying to expand the telcos’ video franchising requirements through amendments. The first one to surface has been introduced by Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA), who has introduced a measure that would bar red-lining, which is the avoidance of delivering service to lower-income territories.

Solis’ amendment prohibits “the denial of services on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or income.”

Meanwhile, in pressure on Commerce Committee Ranking Member John Dingell (D-MI), a big union ally and a big proponent of the telcos’ pursuit of national video franchising, the Communications Workers of America sent a letter to Dingell asking that he consider “principles and factors” when marking up the bill.

Among these principles are the need to prevent red-lining and mandate community build-out requirements, the need to impose customer service requirements on the telcos in their video efforts, the need to impose public, educational and government channel access requirements on telco video systems and the need to impose minimum consumer protection requirements on phone companies’ video marketing efforts.

Surprisingly, the CWA’s letter also asks Dingell to adopt a la carte programming requirements (I say surprisingly because I assume the letter was instigated by the cable industry, which is opposed to a la carte). Even more surprisingly, the CWA has traditionally supported the telcos’ efforts to gain franchising reform.

Update: The Solis Amendment lost this morning by a vote of 22 to 33.

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on April 26, 2006 12:17 PM to IP Democracy