Market forces are driving service providers to offer open systems,” said Tom Tauke, senior vice president for Public Policy & External Affairs at Verizon.
Speaking today at the Net Neutrality Conference sponsored by the Progress and Freedom Foundation, Tauke urged the Federal Communications Commission to move promptly to establish a national policy for broadband services. “Consumers and the network, software, applications and content industries have all been waiting … and waiting … for the FCC to act. Investment is on hold while the FCC ponders,” he said.
He encouraged the FCC to embrace the principles suggested by the High Tech Broadband Coalition. Those principles are designed to ensure that consumers continue to have unlimited or “boundless” access to the Internet, no matter what underlying wireline technology they are using.
“The FCC should make it clear that legacy regulations do not apply to these new networks and services,” he said. “It should then watch how the market develops and act only if there is a market failure.” Most importantly, he said, the FCC should ensure that all new broadband services brought to the market are placed in a “regulatory-free zone.”
“Any rules to ensure net neutrality should apply to all wireline carriers, not just the telecom carriers. A competitive market will ensure that all content providers — those who have something to offer consumers — will be able to reach any Internet-connected customer without interference from software, hardware or access providers, regardless of affiliation”.
“This is the promise of broadband. Old rules and legacy regulations should not apply to impede its growth.”
In February, the FCC decided not to require incumbent telephone companies to share fiber or other broadband lines with competitors. That’s a good thing according to Randolph J. May, director of communications policy at the Progress & Freedom Foundation. He thinks government-mandated sharing does not lead to real competition. Indeed, the FCC snapped to attention, parroting the Verizon line within 24 hours.
Gene Kimmelman at Consumer’s Union and Mark Cooper at Consumer Federation know the routine at Commerce.
Consumers might interprete Verizon’s pitch differently. It appears Verizon has mixed lots of “open” code into “closed systems”. A walled prison - operated and accessed only by Verizon customers - may be what Verizon is really after.
Verizon doesn’t want to share their Hot Spot service and expects the FCC to back them up. Non-shared, hot-spot “islands” may be Verizon’s defense mechanism. Verizon could shut down upstart, competitive “4G” networks without access to roaming agreements.
Will 802.11a/g, 802.16e and 802.20 threaten cellular revenue? Not if cellular operators can help it.
Municipal wireless “clouds” are an idea whose time has come. They WILL offer fair and open competition. For everyone. Even Verizon.
.gif)
