Republicans Consider Relaxing Constraints on Telecom Giants

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The District Sentinel


Friday, August 11, 2017
By Sam Knight, The District Sentinel | Report





The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is reinterpreting a key law to consider relaxing constraints on telecoms giants.

Republican Chair Ajit Pai this week invoked Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act to argue that smartphones alone could help broadband providers meet statutory requirements on access and deployment.

"We propose to incorporate both fixed and mobile advanced telecommunications services into our Section 706 inquiry," agency filings said on Tuesday, in a notice of inquiry. The FCC will accept comments on the proposal for two weeks starting on September 7.

Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn criticized the inquiry, describing mobile and home broadband as "complements, not substitutes."

Read more: http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/41588-republicans-consider-relaxing-constraints-on-telecom-giants

[Raster]

1. Pai is so far in the rethuglicans and their corporate master's pockets...

...he's gently fondling their balls through the fabric.

[dembotoz]

2. have worked the last number of years in telecom including as owner of my own business

are they fucking nuts?

regulations were put in place BECAUSE the telco and cable cos proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that
they could not be trusted....with much of anything!!!!!

[BigmanPigman]

3. Money makes the world go round and the corrupt Repubs richer.

[certainot]

4. 1500 radio stations will be selling this like they did the tel com

act and have been arguing against net neutrality

all that buzz will help make it possible

all advertisers on all rw radio stations should be shamed mercilessly for trump and this crap

[keithbvadu2]

5. "reinterpreting" - interesting concept

[summer_in_TX]

6. Horrible idea

Ajit Pai apparently wants to call smartphone wireless internet coverage expansion equivalent to the goal of expanding fast broadband coverage for home users to more of the country, since many Americans access the internet through phones and don't have a computer at home. So in this proposal, there would not be a need for the FCC to continue to expand broadband and push for faster speeds. Instead the expansion of smartphones and their speeds would be enough. Totally disingenuous - and not in the public interest.

[link:https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/08/mobile-broadband-cant-replace-fast-home-internet-americans-tell-fcc/|

[BadgerKid]

7. I'm missing the point.

I think it's long been known that big telecom and cable companies (is there a difference any more?) do not like capital expenditure unless there is a government handout. So here comes wireless (like WiMAX and 5g) that seems would make access faster across the board. Is it that building out wired rural broadband is vastly more expensive than wireless? Also, the rural areas are largely Republican so I'd expect some outcry from them if this is so bad. There could be some hidden consequence I'm missing though.