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on Washington
... for the freedom of choice and homeland security
Join the Sponsored Events WBIA Presentation - The Business Case and Practice of Advocacy - TBA Online Thank you! Helein Law Group, and Fred Goldstein for preparing WBIA's Comment Filings View WBIA's Verizon Comment to the FCC View WBIA's Qwest Comment to the FCC View WBIA's BellSouth Comment to the FCC NEW! WBIA Legislative Action Center We're marching now! Media Visit the
Express Your Views! Comments can be filed with the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System "CONSUMERS FACE HIGHER INTERNET PRICES AND FEWER CHOICES UNDER TODAY’S FCC BROADBAND DEREGULATION DECISION" - Consumers Union - 10/14/2004 |
The FCC deregulated Open Access and killed Computer Inquiries. What does this mean and what should you do NOW? While the answers are not fully clear yet on what the new terms and conditions for access (if any) will mean to thousands of ISP's we do know that this does not bode well for the future of our industry. While the argument on the Hill has been that this will create greater competition, any first grader who can count apples and oranges will recognize that when you take a bunch of them off the table there will be fewer to count and compete. It defies logic that the Bells have been able to sell this argument, but I suppose if you say it long and loud enough it mysteriously becomes a truth. It is contingent upon us to mobilize and send a message to the FCC and Congress that we are watching and are organizing our industry, business and consumers in opposition. As soon as you read this message please send an email to each of the 4 commissioners. Email addresses and a sample letter are provided below. The real activists will also contact thier Congressional Representative. You can find congressional contact information in the WBIA Legislative Action Center. Alternatively, you can post a letter on the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System. Do one "post letter" for each of the following dockets: 04-29, 04-416, 04-440 and 04-405 (they can be identical letters). Your "posting letter" should be submitted as a PDF or Word document. Use company letterhead if you have it. If you are an ISP or CLEC you can also create another for your customers and or have them sign off on a petition and list all those separately on the letters and ECFS uploaded lists. Chairman Kevin Martin—Kevin.Martin@fcc.gov Dear Chairman or Commissioner _________; We are an ISP, CLEC, Consumer, Technology Supplier, (or whatever) in City_______, State_____ and serve #'s______ of customers. Deregulation will harm our business and the ability to provide competitive services to our customers. Consumers need and deserve the choice they enjoy today and deregulation will take away their right to choose providers and services. President Bush signed Executive Order 13272 on August 13, 2002 requiring federal agencies to implement policies protecting small entities when writing new rules and regulations. President Bush' Small Business Agenda states that every new business starts with an idea for a better product or process, which has been the driving force of Internet innovation we enjoy today. These ideas become reality only when confident entrepreneurs are willing to take economic risks and ISP's have gallantly taken this risk. Small businesses are the heart of the American economy because they drive innovation—new firms are established on the very premise that they can do a better job and recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach is not good for business and innovation. A few legacy carriers cannot continue to benefit from valuable government grants and licenses, including the use of public rights-of-way, and be allowed to extend those rights in a way that bars others from offering their service to the public. President Bush has called for recognition that supporting America's small businesses is critical to ensuring continued job creation. Today, small businesses create two-thirds of new private sector jobs in America, employ more than half of all workers, and account for more than half of the output of our economy. The FCC has been entrusted with protecting consumers, encouraging economic development, and ensuring that competition is allowed to develop, rather than being quashed by a deregulated monopoly. Already, we are seeing the Bells move to increase prices, and without regulation, small business will be harmed, thousands of ISP's will be forced out business, highly-skilled workers will lose their jobs and consumers will lose the choice of platform for broadband services and support. Deregulation will be bad for America and we encourage you to reconsider deregulating open access and Computer Inquiries. Sincerely,
"We believe that all Americans are entitled to freedom of choice and that true competition is unbiased of its provider network. That we be allowed access to those networks to give all Americans their right to choose any mix of service or services they choose." "We recognize that laws and policies must maintain equal, fair and nondiscriminatory access for all providers and that such laws and policies be upheld." - Frank Muto
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