Washington Policy Center Submits Comments Opposing Net Neutrality Regulation

Seattle – Yesterday Carl Gipson, director for technology and telecommunications research at Washington Policy Center, submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the agency's “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” proposing new regulations that would impact the future growth and quality of the Internet by subjecting it to the whims of federal regulators.

In Washington Policy Center’s comments, Gipson stated:

We feel this regulatory move represents an unprecedented infringement upon private sector network operators specifically and the Internet in general. There is no evidence that such a move from government regulators is warranted. The rules could have very adverse effects upon technological innovation, investment in broadband deployment and curtail broadband demand from consumers.

Connected Nation estimates that $134 billion in economic benefits could be realized through greater nationwide broadband rollout. The same organization also estimates that tens of thousands of jobs could be created throughout the nation because of broadband expansion. Encouraging broadband rollout through market-driven incentives will play an important role in our economic recovery.

There is a clear consensus that the Internet is a national resource; an economic and social tool of immense magnitude. Under the current market-driven Internet model supply and demand has increased exponentially in the last decade. This demand has come largely from consumers, entrepreneurs, businesses, social entities, and academia – almost all walks of life. The supply of broadband is also provided largely by entrepreneurs and businesses both large and small. It is important to retain the current supply and demand equilibrium, which has produced untold wealth and productivity.

As regulations increase, the incentive to invest in networks that provide critical data decrease and would slow growth in the Internet. Slower growth will immediately delay direct economic benefits.

Small business owners in particular have a major stake in if these proposed regulations are adopted. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses rely on the constant connectivity and flexibility the Internet and mobile broadband provide. Likewise, many of these businesses will come to rely on emerging technologies that are only in their infancy today.

It is clear that the growth of demand for Internet services and broadband capacity is far from subsiding under the current regulatory structure. It is also evident that in the past no government mandate brought about this substantial growth. Washington Policy Center urges the FCC to refrain from attempting to fix a system that shows no signs of being broken.

Read the full statement online here:

http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/Centers/smallbusiness/PDF/NPRM_Letter.pdf

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Additional Information

WPC op-ed in The Seattle Times:  Don’t subject the internet to politicians and bureaucracies

WPC technology and telecommunications policy research archive