Wireless Community

PC World is running an “article about how Verizon thinks the FCC’s role should be modified” to only enforce, not regulate, the telecom marketplace:

bq. Tom Tauke, Verizon’s executive vice president for public affairs, policy and communications, called on the FCC and Congress to create an “updated role” for government in telecommunications regulation, particularly for rules related to broadband Internet access and services that run over broadband.

bq. Tauke, a former Republican congress-member, called for an end to what he called “anticipatory regulation” designed to head off problems before they exist. Instead, government should allow a “market-driven” approach where broadband carriers are free to offer the services they choose.

bq. “This does not mean there is no role for government; it simply means that there is an updated role for government,” said Tauke, speaking at a policy forum sponsored by conservative think tank the Progress and Freedom Foundation here. “Government should not be on the field, calling the plays, nor should it be writing the rules. Instead it should fill a referee-like role: observing the field of play, responding to complaints by any of the players and addressing cases of market failure.”

Its quite interesting how a former Congressman can change his outlook for government once he receives a check from a private company.

Really, there is so much wrong with his analogy for government’s place. First of all, government is not “calling the plays on the field”. That’s already the role for companies, and has been (at the FCC and elsewhere) as long as the US Constitution has been around. Anyone that thinks that its the FCC (or any other agency) that’s calling the plays needs to take a look at any of the legislation that has been passed in the last 50 years. Primarily, its been private industry, via campaign contributions, lobbying, and the actual drafting of legislation that has been the driving force behind what the US government decides to do (sometimes us citizens get a say as well, though not lately).

Second, government’s proper place is neither on nor off the field. It **IS** the field. Government, and the FCC in particular, should be creating the proper competitive environment (playing field) for private (and sometimes non-profit or public) organizations to work. How can government create a level playing field? Sound economic policy, careful regulation, and public responsiveness.

It was specifically the regulatory framework of the Telecom Act of 1996 that allowed DSL to become a booming and competitive industry. It was this same regulatory framework that enabled the return of spectrum rights to the public (where these rights primarily belong) and their use for many unlicensed wireless technologies.

It is exactly the government’s responsibility to represent the interest of the private citizen, especially in marketplaces dominated by large corporations. Let’s ask a simple question: given that I, as an individual, have problems with my cell phone or network service (and I do), how can I address these issues? I can vote with my dollars, but how much of an impact can a couple $1,000 per year have on a corporation that regularly sees income in the billions of dollars.

I want to be able to run a server on my home internet connection. According to Verizon (and Time Warner), I can’t. (In theory, I could if I purchased a T1 line from Verizon for $1,000 per month, or 10X my current residential rates). I could go to another provider — only possible for DSL, as cable is a monopoly in New York City. But what if there were no alternative? What recourse would I have? The regulatory power of the FCC is the **only** thing that has allowed DSL competitors to exist.

So, Mr. Tauke, until you can come up with a better solution for bringing your competitors into the marketplace — and I bet you can’t, and certainly don’t want to — I’d like my government to keep its Constitutionally given powers to protect me from people and companies like you and Verizon.

[1]http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,122649,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp

Filed under: News, Policy