News

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

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

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 — 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.

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 — The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to testify today before the Senate Commerce Committee on the Commission’s National Broadband Plan. Free Press is calling on the agency to reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service to give the National Broadband Plan firm legal footing.

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:

WASHINGTON — Today, the FCC announced its timetable for implementation of the National Broadband Plan. Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver made the following statement:

WASHINGTON — Public interest groups are asking the FCC to hold public field hearings on Comcast’s proposed takeover of NBC Universal.

WASHINGTON — S. Derek Turner, research director for Free Press, made the following statement in response to the DC Circuit’s opinion in Comcast v. FCC: