Music: Do It All Over Again

Steve Lutz and I recorded this slow-cooker while he was out here on the Potomac last month: Do It All Over

FCC’s Third Way – NPR Interview

Me, today at NPR, Washington, DC

I was interviewed this morning by NPR’s Joel Rose on the FCC’s broadband reclassification / “Third Way” proceeding (see more here & here) kicked off just today.  Listen here to the NPR interview.

The following are some notes I prepared for our talk.

• We want to see the Internet grow; we do not believe regulation as a default is the answer

 

• Though imperfect, we think the market works; it should be allowed to continue to grow via an absence of regulation

 

• We appreciate what the Commission is attempting; it is an important debate we’re having, but the devil’s in the details – the FCC’s Third Way will be looked at carefully, compromises struck in places, and disagreements in others

 

• On the whole, the FCC’s Third Way may not be the birthday cake network providers are looking for

 

• Core innovation could be harmed here – without core innovation, you don’t have innovation at the edges – it’s symbiotic; but regulation – the details – could curb incentives, facilities investment, harm ROI

 

• The Internet has thrived through lack of regulation; so why the change?

 

• By even the FCC’s own reckoning, the market is vibrant; OECD data is apples and oranges and not entirely relevant to the U.S. market; we’ve got it good here, and it’s getting better without regulation

 

• The Comcast ruling changed nothing in the marketplace – it’s vibrant, growing, checked by technology, choices, competition; network providers are following Net Neutrality principles without government intervention

 

• Any changes the FCC contemplates must hem closely to the Act’s statutory grant of authority; this includes today’s Third Way changes; the FCC can’t simply perform a mash-up of statutory authority and say they can regulate as such

 

• Title II seems inappropriate for the Internet; it is not unreasonable to take a new look at the 76-year-old law they’re going back to; Congress should get involved

 

• The Internet marketplace is tough – made tougher when viewed with the lens of congressional and other efforts to clamp down on personal data, cybersecurity, etc.