IIA Releases Guide to Broadband Policy

At the State of the Net conference on Wednesday, the
Internet Innovation Alliance is releasing a "guide to all things
broadband" -- a booklet meant to give legislators guidance on informed
decision-making about Internet policy as IIA sees it.

Among that guidance is that the transition to IP delivery is
the future of communications, a future that will require reforming regulations
meant for a copper wire, analog world. "Requiring incumbent telephone
providers to maintain costly antiquated networks siphons investment away from
deployment of advanced, high-speed next-generation IP-based networks that
consumers prefer," the guide says.

AT&T, one of the alliance's members, has been pushing
the FCC to deregulate traditional circuit-switched service as it transitions to
IP rather than hold it to what it says are outmoded copper wire-based regs.

AT&T also ranks number one in a chart of "Top
Technology Companies Betting on America" thanks to its $20.1 billion in capital
expenditures. Comcast is No. 8 at $5.3 billion.

The guide recommends going easy on regulations meant
"for a bygone analog monopoly provider era," getting more spectrum
into the hands of broadband companies through broadcast incentive auctions, and
by approving secondary spectrum deals between private companies.

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.