The National Cable & Telecommunications Association has met the enemy, and it is Title II.
Following the FCC's release of the 400-age (with addenda and statements) Open Internet order, which was voted Feb. 26 along straight party lines, NCTA in a statement likened it to "regulatory regime change" for the Internet, with “serious collateral consequences for consumers."
The trade group said the FCC move will slow broadband deployment and adoption, which is the opposite of the current regulatory action plan goal under xhairman Tom Wheeler.
NCTA president Michael Powell was chairman when the FCC ruled that ISP's were not subject to Title II open access mandates, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court.
NCTA echoed the calls for Congress to step in that was the drumbeat of Title II critics Thursday after the FCC release.
“As we have stated repeatedly, our companies are committed to offering consumers an open Internet experience, and we fully support the creation of enforceable open Internet rules," NCTA said. "But we do not advance our nation’s ambitions by regulating the Internet with monopoly-era tools. We remain hopeful that Congress will seize this important opportunity to enact smart legislation that codifies the FCC’s authority to protect an open Internet while avoiding the collateral harms that Title II will unleash.”
