November 4, 2010
Warns increased regulations would stifle growth and investment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 4, 2010 – Responding to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) call for reply comments in its Open Internet Public Notice on “Two Under-Developed Issues in the Open Internet Proceeding,” the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA) – a broad-based coalition supporting broadband availability and access for all Americans – today released the following statements from IIA Co-Chairmen Bruce Mehlman and David Sutphen:
IIA Co-Chairman Bruce Mehlman on achieving universal broadband:
“With Election Day behind us, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stands at a pivotal crossroads. If it provides certainty to network operators and predictability to investors, it can meaningfully advance availability and adoption of high-speed Internet across the nation. If it rejects the counsel of bipartisan majorities in Congress and unilaterally pursues a more aggressive regulatory agenda, it can expect years of diminished investment, delayed re-employment in the telecom sector, battles in court and partisan squabbling that disserves our nation.
“To realize 100 percent broadband availability at speeds that enable the next-generation of innovative applications, the FCC estimates the need for $350 billion in additional investment. Given the huge federal budget deficit and national debt, those investments are not going to come from the government. We need private investors to see the business case for continually upgrading existing networks and deploying competing infrastructure platforms.”
IIA Co-Chairman David Sutphen on the future of the Internet:
“At a time when the nation is looking for common ground and common sense solutions for creating new jobs and fostering an economic recovery, the last thing we need is new regulations that threaten one of the few bright spots for growth: the broadband economy. Now is the time to turn the page on net neutrality and focus attention on the issues like universal service fund reform, digital literacy programs, and innovation policy, all of which will help to ensure that every Americans is benefiting from the broadband economy.”
The IIA’s full comments filed with the FCC can be found at
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?z=ppcbi&id=6016060816.