CWA welcomes Congressional role in Clarifying FCC Authority
On May 24, the chairmen of four Congressional committees and subcommittees that deal with issues pertaining to regulation of broadband Internet access announced that they plan to update the Communications Act.
Communications Workers of America President, Larry Cohen welcomed the announcement:
"The Communications Workers of America welcomes Congressional engagement to clarify regulatory authority over broadband Internet access. CWA looks forward to participation in a realistic discussion that establishes in the near-term FCC authority to protect an open Internet and promote broadband expansion, investment and job creation."
On May 24, Senator John D. Rockefeller, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Rep. Henry A. Waxman, the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Senator John F. Kerry, the Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, and Rep. Rick Boucher, the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet announced the bipartisan efforts to develop proposals to update the Communications Act.
As part of the announcement, the four prominent Congressmen and Senators said that they will "invite key stakeholders to participate in a series of bipartisan, issue-focused meetings beginning in June.
In light of the Comcast court decision, FCC authority over broadband Internet access is now in question. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski recently announced his support for reclassification of broadband Internet access as a Title II telecommunications service. But this approach will lead to years of litigation and regulatory uncertainty that will undermine broadband investment and job creation.
CWA and Speed Matters believe that the best approach is for Congress to craft a narrowly tailored bill in the short-term that would establish the FCC's authority to protect an open Internet and promote broadband deployment and adoption.
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CWA Welcomes Congressional Role in Clarifying FCC Authority (CWA)
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