 National Association of Counties * Washington, D.C. Vol. 32, No. 23 * December 18, 2000 Previous story | Table of Contents | Next story NACo comments to FCC on high-speed Internet access By Robert J. Fogel
Mayors, the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), and a number of individual cities and counties, in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC ) to state authoritatively that cable modem service is a cable service. The comments were filed with the FCC in response to the agency’s Notice of Inquiry on the classification of cable modem services. At issue: whether high-speed Internet service when offered by cable companies is subject to the regulatory framework of the cable provisions of the Communication Act. Recent federal court decisions as and actions by cable companies have led to some confusion. The local government comments make it clear that Title VI of the Communications Act, which governs cable, should be operative in regulating high-speed cable modem service. The comments go on to say that “the federal/local partnership in the regulation of the cable industry should be embraced, not abandoned, as the cable industry moves into the twenty-first century … The Commission should recognize, accept and endorse the unique capability of local franchising authorities to represent the interests of consumers in discrete markets.” The local government comments also endorse open access, but suggest that “different communities will approach the decision to require open access differently in light of local market conditions A copy of the comments can be found at www.natoa.org. |