Rules Foreshadow Years of Regulatory Confusion

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today voted to approve Chairman Julius Genachowski’s proposal on open Internet rules.

Andrew Jay Schwartzman, Senior Vice President and Policy Director of Media Access Project, issued the following statement in response to the vote:

“There is a reason that so many giant phone and cable companies are happy, and we are not. These rules are riddled with loopholes. They foreshadow years of uncertainty and regulatory confusion, which those carriers will use to their advantage. Those seeking to innovate and invent new uses for digital technologies face the prospect of being blocked, bilked, or intimidated by the carriers who control the pipes. And ordinary people who use the Internet for artistic, social and political expression, not to mention entertainment and gaming, will be denied the full benefits of the Internet.

“The Commission’s choice to proceed without reclassifying did not improve the chances for these rules in court, nor clarify the agency’s authority to promote broadband deployment and adoption by underserved communities and populations.”

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Media Access Project is a non-profit, public interest law firm dedicated to promoting the public’s First Amendment right to access a diverse marketplace of ideas in media. For over 38 years, MAP has promoted the public interest before the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the U.S. Courts, advocating for an open and diverse telecommunications system that protects the free flow of information, promotes universal and equitable access to media and telecommunications services, and encourages vibrant public discourse on critical issues facing our society.