bobbyw24
04-08-2010, 04:42 AM
By Tony Romm - 04/07/10 05:26 PM ET
The FCC on Wednesday admitted a recent court decision that curtails its Internet regulatory powers "may affect a significant number" of the agency's broadband expansion proposals.
According to the commission, which detailed its concerns in a recent blog post, the FCC is currently without a "sound legal basis" to implement recommendations included as part of its National Broadband Plan, designed in part to expand broadband to 90 percent of U.S. households by 2020.
Among the provisions affected are the FCC's goals to accelerate high-speed Internet adoption nationwide and institute new net neutrality rules, the agency noted.
"We are assessing the implications of yesterday’s decision for each [recommendation], to ensure that the Commission has adequate authority to execute the mission laid out in the Plan," wrote Austin Schlick, general counsel for the FCC.
Chiefly threatening the agency's ability to carry out many of its more robust recommendations in the National Broadband Plan is Tuesday's federal court ruling, which found the FCC has no 'ancillary' authority to regulate Web providers.
The decision stems from a 2007 dispute between Comcast and the FCC over the ISP's move to block some users' access to illegal file-sharing sites, in part to ensure the speed of its own network. After the FCC ordered Comcast in 2008 to cease that practice, Comcast took the FCC to court, questioning its authority.
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/91095-fcc-admits-comcast-ruling-could-affect-significant-portion-of-national-broadband-plan
The FCC on Wednesday admitted a recent court decision that curtails its Internet regulatory powers "may affect a significant number" of the agency's broadband expansion proposals.
According to the commission, which detailed its concerns in a recent blog post, the FCC is currently without a "sound legal basis" to implement recommendations included as part of its National Broadband Plan, designed in part to expand broadband to 90 percent of U.S. households by 2020.
Among the provisions affected are the FCC's goals to accelerate high-speed Internet adoption nationwide and institute new net neutrality rules, the agency noted.
"We are assessing the implications of yesterday’s decision for each [recommendation], to ensure that the Commission has adequate authority to execute the mission laid out in the Plan," wrote Austin Schlick, general counsel for the FCC.
Chiefly threatening the agency's ability to carry out many of its more robust recommendations in the National Broadband Plan is Tuesday's federal court ruling, which found the FCC has no 'ancillary' authority to regulate Web providers.
The decision stems from a 2007 dispute between Comcast and the FCC over the ISP's move to block some users' access to illegal file-sharing sites, in part to ensure the speed of its own network. After the FCC ordered Comcast in 2008 to cease that practice, Comcast took the FCC to court, questioning its authority.
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/91095-fcc-admits-comcast-ruling-could-affect-significant-portion-of-national-broadband-plan