ACA: Title II Is Risky Business

The American Cable Association says it will work with the
FCC on the "right result" for consumers and operators as the
commission tries to clarify its broadband regulatory powers, but says
classifying it under Title II is risky business.

In a statement, ACA President Matthew Polka said the
association appreciates the FCC's attempt to find a middle ground, but that
Title II classification, even with the FCC's promise not to apply most of those
common carrier regulations, "creates uncertainty in the market and runs
the risk of producing unintended consequences, especially for small and
mid-sized operators."

The FCC Thursday (May 6) officially unveiled its "third
way" approach in response to a federal court decision in the
Comcast/BitTorrent case that the FCC had not justified its authority regulate
broadband network management.

Operators argue the move could prove a disincentive to investment and make
it difficult to manage their networks to provide the best customer experience
for their subscribers.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.