The Regulatory Mix - Friday, February 22, 2019

House Republicans on Net Neutrality

Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR), Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Republican Leader Bob Latta (R-OH) and Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) sent a letter to Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Michael F. Doyle (D-PA) requesting the committee work together to find a bipartisan solution for net neutrality.  The letter comes on the heels of a Subcommittee on Communication and Technology hearing where Reps. Walden, Latta, and Rodgers introduced three net neutrality bills, presenting a menu of options to get started on crafting a bipartisan solution.

The letter urges the Chairman to work with the Republican members “on bipartisan legislation to ensure that Americans’ access to an open internet will be permanently protected.”  It notes that the three members had “announced three bills that are realistic avenues to consensus. These were not simply discussion drafts nor procedural measures to negate or reinstate past rules. We all agree on the need to legislate baseline protections for net neutrality, open internet, or whatever new term may be coined for the consumer protection principles that are supported by Republicans and Democrats alike.”

The leaders continued, “As Chairman Pallone stated in 2010, this is a job for Congress. Working together, this is a job that we can get done. Let’s remember that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed after years of seemingly intractable differences. It was through bipartisan cooperation that members of this Committee were able to come together to create landmark legislation that protected consumers and incentivized unprecedented innovation and investment. We stand ready to work with you and all of our colleagues on the Committee to forge a new, enduring, bipartisan legislative landmark to put an end to this debate and protect the open internet for generations to come.”

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 The Regulatory Mix Today: House Republicans on Net Neutrality, Draft FCC Broadband Deployment Report Circulated; US House Responds, CRTC Seeks Input on Possible Internet Services Code

Draft FCC Broadband Deployment Report Circulated; US House Responds

The FCC announced that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has circulated a draft of the 2019 Broadband Deployment Report (aka the Section 706 Report), which concludes that advanced telecommunications services (broadband) is being deployed on a reasonable and timely basis.    According to the Press Release, the report shows that:

• Since last year’s report, the number of Americans lacking access to a fixed  broadband connection meeting the FCC’s benchmark speed of 25 Mbps/3 Mbps has dropped by over 25%, from 26.1 million Americans at the end of 2016 to 19.4 million at the end of 2017.
• The majority of those gaining  access to such high-speed connections, approximately 5.6 million, live in rural America, where broadband deployment has traditionally lagged. 
• The private sector has responded to FCC reforms by deploying fiber to 5.9 million new homes in 2018, the largest number ever recorded.
• Overall, capital expenditures by broadband providers increased in 2017, reversing declines that occurred in both 2015 and 2016.
• The number of Americans with access to 100 Mbps/10Mpbs fixed broadband increased by nearly 20%, from 244.3 million to 290.9 million.
• The number of Americans with access to 250 Mbps/50 Mbps fixed broadband grew by over 45%, to 205.2 million, and the number of rural Americans with access to such service more than doubled.

The FCC is expected to vote on the report in the coming weeks.

In response to the announcement, House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Republican Leader Bob Latta (R-OH) issued the following statement:

“This report shows that the FCC’s efforts to reduce regulatory burdens are helping more Americans gain access to broadband and bringing us closer to finally closing the digital divide,” Walden said. “But despite these breakthroughs, there is still more work to be done — and that’s why Republicans want to find a bipartisan solution for net neutrality. We need open internet certainty without the excessive and unrelated burdens of Title 2.”

“Closing the ‘digital divide’ is one of my top priorities as Republican Leader on the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, and this report shows that efforts to reduce regulatory burdens and support investment are helping more Americans gain access to high-speed broadband,” Latta said. “Representing a number of rural areas in Congress, I know the difference that this will make in family homes and for businesses on Main Street in these communities. At the same time, there’s still more work to be done at the FCC and in Congress to make access to high-speed Internet a reality for all Americans.”

CRTC Seeks Input on Possible Internet Services Code

The CRTC is taking action to address consumer complaints about Internet services.  The Internet Code could:

• establish consumer-friendly business practices;
• require service providers to provide consumers with easy-to-understand contracts;
• provide tools to consumers to avoid bill shock;
• make it easier for consumers to switch providers to take advantage of competitive offers.

The CRTC is inviting Canadians to share their views on its Facebook page between February 21, and March 4, 2019, about the possible creation of a mandatory code of conduct for Internet service providers.  The CRTC wants to hear from all Canadians, but especially those paying for Internet services and who may have experienced issues related to contract clarity, bill shock, and cancelling or changing service providers, among others.

The CRTC wants input from Canadians on the following questions and are especially interested in proposed solutions you think they should consider:

• Have you ever found it difficult to understand or get a copy of your Internet contract? What rules could have made this easier?
• Have you ever been shocked by unexpected fees on your Internet bill? What rules could have helped prevent such a surprise?
• Have you ever had a hard time cancelling your service or switching Internet service providers? What rules could have made switching easier?
• Ever had unresolved issues with your Internet service provider? Do you know where and how to escalate a complaint? What rules could have made the process easier?

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.

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