FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, April 20, 2017, Contact: Scott Cleland 703-217-2407
Pai FCC is wisely spurring private broadband infrastructure investment and facilities-based competition, which is what makes America’s Internet infrastructure unique in the world, and which is the opposite of the Wheeler FCC’s broadband infrastructure policy of Title II public utility regulation and promotion of taxpayer-funded municipal broadband networks
WASHINGTON D.C. – The following may be attributed to Scott Cleland, Chairman of NetCompetition:
“In a series of consistent digital infrastructure decisions today by the Pai FCC, the important policy takeaway is a Pai-FCC laser focus on encouraging private sector infrastructure investment and facilities-based competition, a complete reversal of the Wheeler-FCC’s opposite laser focus of discouraging private broadband infrastructure investment via aggressive promotion of taxpayer-funded, municipal broadband infrastructure investment, and maximal Title II public utility regulation of competitive broadband facility providers.”
“These Pai-FCC infrastructure decisions today represent a clear return to the bipartisan 1996 Telecom Act purpose of “promoting competition and reducing regulation,” and the consistent bipartisan broadband policies of the 1997-2013 FCC’s of Senate-confirmed FCC Chairmen Kennard, Powell, Martin, and Genachowski, that all promoted facilities-based broadband competition and investment, and consistently rejected Title II utility regulation of broadband Internet access.”
“Foreign criticism of the Pai-FCC’s position of encouraging facilities-based broadband competition and urging the U.S. follow other countries’ utility broadband regulation, comes from envy, as America is the only country in the world that has proven facilities-based broadband competition can and does work, and America’s unique: two national wireline network facilities, four national wireless network facilities, and two national satellite network facilities are the evidence.”
“Like four of his five predecessors, Chairman Pai trusts private sector competition to best serve consumers and America.”
NETCompetition.org is a pro-competition e-forum representing broadband interests.
Scott Cleland served as Deputy U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy in the George H. W. Bush Administration.
