Debate Weighs Broadband Access Reclassification Pros and Cons

摘要

Title II reclassification would put the FCC on a firmer legal footing, said some participants in a net neutrality debate at the Broadband Policy Summit. Others said it could scare away investors and lead to price regulation. "The overall legal framework" in the net neutrality "notice of proposed rulemaking is so bad," said Phoenix Center President Lawrence Spiwak. It violates Sections 201 and 202 of the Communications Act and "it is by definition price regulation," he said. If FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says the goal is investment and broadband deployment, and "if people perceive that there is going to be that kind of risk, capital will be very difficult to come by," Spiwak said. There must be rule of law, said Verizon Senior Vice President Kathryn Brown. But "we shouldn’t micro-manage this whole process" and oversight should be flexible, she said. Congress should step in and "say what is the new statutory framework for us moving forward."