KENNARD CALLS HILL FOCUS ON NET NEUTRALITY A MISTAKE

摘要

Debate over net neutrality keeps Congress from addressing 2 issues with more impact on expanding broadband access, ex-FCC Chmn. William Kennard said Sat. in a N.Y. Times op-ed. Instead of focusing on net neutrality, Kennard said, Congress should: (1) Reform the Universal Service Fund (USF) by finding 揳 new source of revenue?to better support expanded broadband access. The USF should start supporting broadband access, but 搕he fund in its current form is not an effective way?to do so, he said: 揥e must find a new source of revenue that does not exclusively tax users of the phone network.?One possibility is a reverse auction, an idea raised by FCC Chmn. Kevin Martin, he said. nn(2) Pass a national franchising law to speed services to consumers. Cable and phone providers are hurrying to offer bundled services but 搕he legacy of historic regulation puts the telephone companies at a serious disadvantage in quickly deploying video services,?Kennard wrote: 揅ongress punted on both of these issues this year in large part because of the polarizing net neutrality debate. Policymakers should rise above the net neutrality debate and focus on what America truly requires from the Internet: getting affordable broadband access to those who need it.?/font>