A lot has happened since last week’s neutrality ruling, where a DC court ruled against the FCC in a case brought by Comcast. Though the court said that the FCC lacked authority to tell Comcast that they can’t throttle some types of traffic, the FCC isn’t buying it [pdf]:
Chairman Genachowski added, “The court decision earlier this week does not change our broadband policy goals, or the ultimate authority of the FCC to act to achieve those goals. The court did not question the FCC’s goals; it merely invalidated one technical, legal mechanism for broadband policy chosen by prior Commissions. […]”
That last sentence contains a veiled threat, because the FCC really has immense power in this area, and other “technical, legal” mechanisms would make net neutrality the least of Comcast’s problems:
But the FCC could work around the Tuesday ruling with a vote of the five FCC commissioners. Currently, Internet service providers fall under a lightly regulated area of the FCC. It would take only a 3-to-2 vote to move high-speed Internet into one of the FCC’s more heavily regulated areas, where the agency could set tough rules on companies such as Comcast.
So, despite the Comcast ruling, the FCC has released its broadband gameplan for 2010, and it’s huge. By the end of the year, the FCC will make 60 new rules covering topics like mobile roaming, “white space” (which re-uses unused TV spectrum for unlicensed wireless broadband), and universal access.
They’re also pushing back at bullshit promulgated by big operators. For example, Verizon’s CEO recently criticized the FCC broadband plan by saying there’s no immediate need for more bandwidth. The FCC chief of staff slices that claim to pieces on his blog, using text from multiple recent Verizon FCC filings, where Verizon claimed precisely what the CEO denied this week.
There are a lot of ways the FCC’s broadband plan could go wrong, and companies like Verizon and Comcast will certainly do their best to run it off the rails, but I’m still cautiously optimistic about real, positive change happening here.
Aunt Moe
Wow – an FCC doing its job. It’s going to take some time to accustom ourselves to governators governating.
Hart Williams
That is great news. There are way too many Chicken Littles out there, and, while this won’t shut them up, cooler heads will feel a little less freaked out.
OK: a whole lot less freaked out.
Too bad we can’t do the same thing with elections.
Oh, wait. The Alter Boys at SCOTUS think that corporations are people and money is speech. I assume that they also think that their ass is their elbow and shit is actually shinola.
Bill E Pilgrim
This is a bit out of left field but reading that I just had the thought that maybe we could induce the Wingnuts to manipulate the supply of complete insanity since they’ve got a near-monopoly these days (No, Keith Olbermann being mean is not like bricks being thrown through windows, death threats, or gas lines being cut, sorry) and thereby hope that its value goes up.
Kind of an OPEC thing, you know. Then we’d have less of it, but when it did happen we could play along that it was more potent precisely because it’s in shorter supply. You know, ooh and ahhh whenever someone does act crazy, applaud, but the rest of the time enjoy the fact that it’s less frequent, and go about the country’s business with fewer filibusters, drama queens and pyrotechnics.
You think they’d buy it?
Linda Featheringill
I think the Administration is trying to expand the internet and make it more accessible to more folks. I think they see such a move integrating different segments of the country, as well as different countries.
And they are correct. The BJ community is made up of people who probably would never have met and talked if we did not have access to the internet. And I would not want to sacrifice this community. [hearts and Xs and Os and hugs. :-)]
Anyway, I haven’t heard or seen anyone from the Administration asking for permission from the big communication companies. Those elitist Obots seem to view the internet as a public utility. And I think they will continue to try to increase accessibility.
Chyron HR
The FCC is engaging in flagrant hippie-punching. Why did Obama abandon the internet Public Option without a fight?
JK
OT
Obama’s nominee [Dawn Johnsen] to lead the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), selected well over a year ago, has withdrawn her nomination, The Associated Press reported Friday… White House spokesman Ben LaBolt blamed Senate Republicans for the failed nomination.
h/t http://www.acslaw.org/node/15823
Obama needs to stop acting like a goddamn fucking pussy and stand up to these scumbag Republican cocksuckers for their bullshit tactics of delaying and blocking votes of his nominees.
Jon Rockoford
Verizon’s CEO is a teabagger. Verizon sponsored the Labor Day Tea Party, also known as the “Friends of America Rally.”
Brian J
I have virtually no idea of what to think of any of this, but I can just say how cool it is that you could write “The FCC chief of staff slices that claim to pieces on his blog, using text from multiple recent Verizon FCC filings, where Verizon claimed precisely what the CEO denied this week”? It’s hard to say why, exactly, I think so many government offices having blogs is a good thing, but I think it is.
jeffreyw
If they ever make it possible to cast off the shackles imposed by Hughes.net satellite “broadband” I will establish a nook with an icon of the FCC board guy and make offerings every day to the Gods Ping, Latency, MegaByte. Every Spring I will dance the Woo-Hoo around the dish mounting pole. Not, not naked, you fuckers.
Linda Featheringill
@jeffreyw: I understand that the climate in WV is amenable to growing figs. :-)
jeffreyw
@Linda Featheringill: Maybe John will grown some, and mail a fig care package to me here in Glorious Southern Illinois!
scav
@jeffreyw: how’z ’bout scantily? something veilish in nature?
Uloborus
JK:
…um, how? If congressional Republicans are going to indefinitely delay his appointments, I’m aware of only two ways he can stand up to them. He can call them out on it publically – which he has, but the media doesn’t think that’s interesting. He can make interim appoinments, which he has.
What else can he do?
Elvis Elvisberg
The court really didn’t rule that the FCC “lacked the authority” to regulate. It ruled that in this case, the FCC had failed to justify its actions under its statute. There’s a lot of room for the FCC to do a better job asserting its authority, and it looks like that’s what they’re doing.
someguy
@ JK
I assume that your real meaning is “I hate fucking Republican cocksuckers” and that you’re okay with the blocking tactic generally providing it’s used by people you generally agree with.
Otherwise the same comments apply to the Democrats, who do a pretty fair job of blocking Republican presidential nominees from time to time.
jackie
@jeffreyw: I’m in metro
Chicago and we have a guy in the neighborhood whose entire yard is figs, and gladiolus bulbs marching like soldiers in row, so I know you can grow them. I don’t know how his harvest is.
trollhattan
When will the FCComunists abandon this consumer-orientation folly and get back to their core principle: protecting America from nipples?
Leave Comcast aloooooooone!
ThresherK
The idea that Comcast, or any private carrier, is to be trusted with my company’s digital lifeline is queasily Enronesque.
Elisabeth
@Uloborus:
To be fair, I do think the president could, during one of those interviews the media is more than happy to conduct, sneak a punch in on something like this although I suspect most people don’t have a clue who Dawn Johnsen is.
Some of the blame also goes to conservative Dems, I’m looking at you Ben Nelson, who couldn’t be counted on to vote to confirm.
I am so not looking forward to the SCOTUS fight.
Uloborus
Elizabeth:
He has. I’ve heard him throw in comments about how if things aren’t getting done, it’s because congress won’t confirm his nominees.
But you’re right he could hit harder on that topic. I mean, if Obama wants to make it a big issue, he can. I’m not sure what good that would do, though. He could spend five hours screaming in Mitch McConnell’s face, and the Republicans still won’t cooperate. It does embarrass the GOP in front of voters, but lord, he’s got no shortage of more vulnerable targets to shoot for there.
Elisabeth
@Uloborus:
I think what bothers me the most is that the president is often alone in these fights. We get wishy-washy Dems who offer halfhearted support instead of a forceful pushback. I often find Grayson to be a bit much but many more slightly milder Graysons would go a long way.
ruemara
I’m glad you’re covering this. As media worker in a rural area, I get to see all the nonsense that is blocking poor neighborhoods from getting good coverage. I can’t tell you how impressed I am that the FCC is working on real issues rather than worrying about Janet Jackson’s nipple.
ruemara
@JK:
I’m sorry, but how and when does a President confirm his nominees by himself? What about conservadems who are doing nothing but obstructing? What exactly would make Obama not a pussy? Hand to hand combat in an oil bath shirtless with Mitch O’Connell & Ben Nelson? Why are progressives so angry at Obama after Dawn Johnsen, who could have used some sit her ass down and will not be moved sentiments herself, removes herself as a nominee yet not be too riled up to bombard their congressperson’s offices while the issue was ongoing? I may have mangled that last statement, but I think you can get it.