8/8/2019 CD Mmtc Reclass 100410

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Comm Daily Notebook, 10/4/10:

Civil rights groups want net neutrality to stay on Capitol Hill. The Houses failure to reach

consensus on a net neutrality bill has led Congressional Democrats and some public interest

groups to push the FCC to move forward with plans to reclassify broadband under Title II of

the Communications Act (CD Sept 30 p9). But Friday, the Minority Media and

Telecommunications Council and the Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE) urged the FCC to

let Congress finish its work when members return in November. While failing to cross the

finish line, House Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., found more

consensus than anyone before, MMTC President David Honig told reporters. That shows a

legislative answer is within our grasp, he said. The commission certainly ought to be

respectful of Congresss valiant effort to resolve this, and should give Congress some more

time to work out a deal in the lame duck session or early next year. Some legislators and

observers doubt Congress can pass a net neutrality bill in the lame duck session (CD Sept 30

p1), but Honig was optimistic. Its an important enough issue for Congress to act on, because

uncertainty over the issue is hurting the telecom sector, which represents one-tenth of the

nations gross national product, Honig said. And lame-duck sessions often produce

bipartisanship since members have finished their campaigns, he said. The net neutrality fighthas drained FCC resources, and a Hill answer would also free up the commission to work on

minority issues and other critical matters, added Honig. ADE Chairman Julis Hollis also

urged Hill action. By calling for reclassification, fringe groups are simply out of touch with

what our communities really need, and that's jobs and investment, he said. We cannot

allow them to hijack this debate, nor can we allow overregulation by the FCC to impede this

goal. It is up to Congress to take the reins and continue moving forward to enforce policies

that focus on the creation of jobs and increased employment through the deployment of

affordable access. Its unlikely the FCC will schedule a net neutrality vote this year, even if

Congress cant break a stalemate over the issue, Medley Global Advisors analyst Jeff Silva

wrote Friday. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski "will likely wait until a new Congress is

seated and assess the reconstituted political landscape before making any major move on

open Internet policy, the analyst said. He believes Genachowski would rather find a

compromise on net neutrality, and preferably with bipartisan congressional guidance, than

move forward on reclassification. AB