Rep. Walden: FCC Independence a Fiction

House Communications Subcommittee chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) told small and medium-sized cable operators Wednesday (March 4) that he thought the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to reclassify Internet access under Title II common-carrier regulations was a “total overreach,” as well as illogical and illegal.

In a Q&A session hosted by the American Cable Association and moderated by president/CEO Matt Polka, Walden also said he had off-the-record conversations with companies that had told him Title II reclassification would translate into a 20%-30% cut in their broadband investments.

FCC chairman Tom Wheeler has downplayed warnings that investment cuts could be a byproduct of reclassification, pointing to statements by some execs that they would  continue to invest.

For the full story go to Multichannel.com.

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.