Phoenix Center Roundtable Features Critics of Net Neutrality Urging Fellow Critics to Make Voices Heard FCC

Alas some common sense on net neutrality.  The preponderance of misinformation that surrounds this topic is amazing.  There are political forces at work here that are usurping the underlying technical and business discussion for their own political agenda.  Most of the public are not aware of what is happening behind the scenes and who are pulling the strings.

, Reporter, Broadband Breakfast News
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WASHINGTON, July 1, 2014 – At an informal Phoenix Center roundtable on Tuesday, June 24, Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O’Rielly criticized net neutrality and urged fellow critics to take advantage of the FCC’s open comment period on the topic.

Comedians like John Oliver of the Daily Show might have a flare for butchering the facts, O’Rielly said, but a jolt to the system is what public discourse desperately needs to get people talking about net neutrality.

O’Rielly argued that net neutrality proponents are on a crusade to fix a non-existent problem.

“Truth be told, we [at the FCC] haven’t provided any evidence of harm to consumers today,” he said. “If you read the public statements that providers have made, they have committed to existing practices which they think are beneficial to consumers…. We’re trying to impose a new rule without any harm.”

Matthew Berry, chief of staff to Commissioner Ajit Pai, said broadband regulation is unnecessary in a market with choices. A provider that blocks today is just going to be replaced by another. Jenner and Block Partner Sam Feder echoed this belief, saying that as long as the internet is competitive, the market will discipline it into openness.

O’Rielly even went on to say that the he doesn’t believe Section 706 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act actually gives the FCC any authority to regulate broadband services.

“I have deep concerns about where you can take that authority,” he said. “I believe that you can take that argument all the way over to standalone edge providers — and that’s extremely dangerous.”

If the FCC is to make thoughtful and informed decisions, then it’s up to the public to voice their concerns, O’Rielly said.

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About Mark Milliman

Mark Milliman is a Principal Consultant at Inphotonics Research driving the adoption and assisting local governments to plan, build, operate, and lease access open-access municipal broadband networks. Additionally, he works with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to increase the value of their intellectual capital through the creation of strategic product plans and execution of innovative marketing strategies. With more than 22 years of experience in the telecommunications industry that began at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Mark has built fiber, cable, and wireless networks around the world to deliver voice, video, and data services. His thorough knowledge of all aspects of service delivery from content creation to the design, operation, and management of the network is utilized by carriers and equipment manufacturers. Mark conceived and developed one of the industry's first multi-service provisioning platform and is multiple patent holder. He is active in the IEEE as a senior member. Mark received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
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