[opendtv] Re: Sprint is lone voice supporting FCC on broadband
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 15:33:49 -0500
"Sprint Nextel is the lone voice among the US cellcos, supporting FCC proposals
to reclassify broadband as 'information services' rather than 'telecoms
services' ..."
Actually, the other way around. The FCC wants to reclassify broadband Internet
acccess as a telecom service rather than an information service, under Title
II. But that doesn't change anything in the article. Sprint is promoting "net
neurtrality" in wireless broadband, where the CTIA and all the wireless
operators prefer to have the option of creating differentiation of their
service offerings.
To me, everything hinges on what the FCC lawyers mean, when they say that the
telecom rules would only apply to the "broadband transmission service" aspects
of broadband. I might interpret that to mean any IP two-way communications.
Could put a serious dent on differentiating service offerings among the 3G and
4G cellcos.
Bert
---------------------------------
http://www.rethink-wireless.com/2010/05/10/sprint-lone-voice-supporting-fcc-broadband.htm
Sprint is lone voice supporting FCC on broadband
AT&T claims reclassifying broadband would damage investment in wireless
By CAROLINE GABRIEL
Published: 10 May, 2010
Sprint Nextel is the lone voice among the US cellcos, supporting FCC proposals
to reclassify broadband as 'information services' rather than 'telecoms
services' - a change that would introduce significant changes to how wireless
and wireline broadband are regulated.
The rest of the US wireless industry came out in strong opposition, last week,
to proposals that broadband should be brought, at least partly, under 'common
carrier rules' known as Title II regulation. Most importantly, this would apply
net neutrality rules. The FCC last week proposed a "third way" between "weak
Title I and overly burdensome Title II" approaches, as one official put it.
Title I does not impose any access mandates, and the new rules were drawn up in
light of the FCC's recent court defeat over its attempts to regulate Comcast.
It now seeks to "apply to broadband transmission service only the small handful
of Title II provisions that, prior to the Comcast decision, were widely
believed to be within the Commission's purview".
The cellcos' representative body, the CTIA, plus AT&T and Verizon expressed
alarm over the plan, claiming it was "legally unsupported" and would threaten
economic recovery and future investment in broadband infrastructure.
However, Sprint's statement praised the FCC's "light regulatory touch". Vonya
McCann, senior VP for government affairs, said: "The FCC can and should foster
similar growth in broadband by focusing its energies on protecting consumers by
promoting competition and placing checks and balances on providers with market
power." Sprint, via its investment in WiMAX network owner Clearwire and its
launch of 4G services, is seeking to narrow the gap with AT&T and Verizon by
committing to mobile broadband and a more open model than the telcos have
traditionally favored.
CTIA CEO Steve Largent said in his statement that any net neutrality measures
could limit investment in wireless. "Putting that success at risk is
unnecessary and dangerous, particularly in today's economic environment," he
said. Meanwhile, AT&T's head of legislative affairs, Jim Cicconi, said the
plans would "have a direct impact on jobs and investment in one of the areas of
the US economy that many hoped could help lead the recovery."
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