The FCC asked for comment Wednesday on allowing specialized broadband services and whether to apply different openness standards to wireless broadband.
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) was quick to oblige. In a statement, Markey registered his concerns about allowing what he called "discriminatory fast lanes" and said that excluding mobile broadband from an open Internet framework could "widen the digital divide." He said that if Congress does not step in "this month" with a legislative fix, the FCC should go ahead and reclassify broadband under some Title II common carrier regs, the so-called "Third way" proposal by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
""If Congress fails to successfully legislate clarifications this month to the FCC's authority," he said, "it is my hope that the FCC will move quickly to complete its "Third Way" proceeding in order to protect consumers, safeguard fair competition, and preserve the openness that has enabled the Internet to become the most successful communications and commercial medium in history."
The FCC suggested in its request for comment that there was "narrowing disagreement" on a way forward for expanding and clarifying the FCC's Internet openness guidelines.
