News

WASHINGTON – Three weeks after a federal appeals court put the Federal Communications Commission’s ability to safeguard Internet users in jeopardy, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski continues to dodge questions about what course his agency will take to ensure Network Neutrality and to achieve the critical goals of the National Broadband Plan.

WASHINGTON — Today marks the closing of the official public comment cycle in the Federal Communications Commission’s open Internet proceeding. Free Press will file reply comments today with the FCC, urging the agency to move forward with its plans to promote innovation and investment online by preserving the free and open Internet.

WASHINGTON — Free Press responded to the findings of an industry-funded “study” conducted by Coleman Bazelon and paid for by the Mobile Future, a coalition which includes AT&T, various chambers of commerce, and other opponents of de facto Network Neutrality rules.

S. Derek Turner, Free Press research director, issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON – This week, on Verizon’s quarterly earnings conference call, Chief Financial Officer John F. Killian announced plans to cut tens of thousands more jobs at the company: “I mentioned on previous calls the last couple of years we’ve reduced our wireline work force by about 13,000 per year, and I said we would do the same this year.

WASHINGTON — In response to the announcement that CenturyLink and Qwest Communications have agreed to merge, Free Press Research Director S. Derek Turner said:

WASHINGTON — In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, Free Press Research Director S. Derek Turner urged members of Congress to make sure that the Federal Communications Commission’s implementation of the National Broadband Plan includes gathering thorough and accurate data on broadband availability.

WASHINGTON — Cable company RCN agreed on Monday to settle a class-action lawsuit after it was accused of degrading its users’ Internet service. In 2008, a complaint against RCN was filed accusing the company of throttling, a network management practice that prevents or delays customers from using the Internet in certain ways.

WASHINGTON — At the Federal Communications Commission’s monthly open meeting on Wednesday, Commissioners voted on several agenda items for the recently released National Broadband Plan

Recent news reports indicate that although revenue for Internet provider Frontier Communications has been increasing, the company is testing a new Internet overcharging scheme that would force consumers to pay outrageously high fees for what the company arbitrarily deems “high bandwidth use.”

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) introduced a bill that would allow for more time for public input on the proposed Comcast-NBC merger by extending the public comment period for 45 additional days.

Joe Torres, government relations manager at Free Press, made the following statement: