Newsroom

A Democratic House's Impact on Telecom

Increase text size Decrease text size   Email this page Print this page

Broadband Reports, November 8, 2006

Democrat John Dingell (MI) and Democrat Ed Markey (MA) have both been avid supporters of net-neutrality laws and are expected to take command of telecom policy when Democrats reclaim power in the House next January. Dingell will be appointed chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees phone & cable operators. Markey will lead the Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee, which could apply pressure to change tactics at the FCC.

Obviously this means a renewed interest in neutrality laws, but it may also damage telco efforts to pass legislation giving them a nationwide video franchise. Telco lobbyists had argued such a franchise would allow them to speed up next-generation network deployment by eliminating negotiations with towns and cities. Opponents were concerned the change would allow them to cherry-pick only the nation's densest and most affluent areas for broadband network upgrades while eroding local authority.

Despite Republican control and the Senate Commerce Committee directly circulating incumbent astroturfing materials, Senator Ted "Tubes" Stevens still had a hard time getting the 60 votes needed to pass his Communications Act of 2006. The Act, which now has little chance of passing, contained numerous provisions beneficial to incumbent providers but primarily focused on video franchising.

Sensing the sea change, incumbent broadband providers like AT&T and Time Warner have flipped their financial allegiances accordingly. What will be interesting to watch is how Markey's renewed position (he held this same post in 1994) impacts the FCC's media consolidation push, as well as the AT&T and BellSouth merger approval process. AT&T and Republican FCC chief Kevin Martin had hoped to see the merger approved before the elections without conditions.

TAGS:

This article is copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Freepress.net is a project of Free Press and the Free Press Action Fund
Massachusetts Office: 40 Main St, Suite 301, Florence, MA 01062 - Ph 877.888.1533 - Fax 413.585.8904
Washington Office: 501 Third Street NW, Suite 875, Washington, DC 20001 - Ph 202.265.1490 - Fax 202.265.1489