Shades of the 1996 Telecom Act, Congress is about to do it again. Joe Barton and company will give away our digital communications treasure house in exchange for some smooth talking lobbying snake oil. Passing out the potion last week was Telco uber-lobbyist Walter B. McCormick, Jr—President and CEO of the United States Telecom Association (USTA). We wish that committee witnesses would be made to swear an oath that what they are testifying is the whole truth and—you know what.
For starters, McCormack actually claimed that the U.S. has “government managed competition†and it was “time†to “embrace market-based competition.†Hello! When was the last time the FCC stopped a telecom merger, rolled back consumer rates or did anything but lie like a obedient puppy at the feet of our telecom conglomerates? For example, recently the FCC has given (see 8/5/05) USTA’s members tremendous control over broadband—enabling them to soon begin imposing a “pay us when you surf and pay us as you post content†regime.
McCormick also had the audacity to claim that the Barton bill was going to give the U.S. “video choice.†“Video choice†is a code word for now the U.S. will have two big monopolies over broadband and IP-based video communications: cable and telcos. A real “video choice†would mean we could bypass these gatekeepers and choose whatever provider and programs we desired. McCormick promised consumers would save lots of money, once the phone companies competed with cable. Does anyone take that seriously? Besides, the cable and telco lobbies told Congress the exact same thing back in 1996 (and several times before that).
Reflecting that hubris is always present when big bucks are at stake, McCormick actually called for the removal of the pathetically weak “network neutrality†language in the bill (which would send any broadband discrimination complaint to the dead letter office at the FCC). Any legislation that would ensure an open Internet, said McCormick, was “premature†and would “chill innovation and investment†(meaning what Verizon, AT&T and others hope will be fat bottom lines as they charge us all higher rates for service). Finally, illustrating that USTA members are fearful of any competition at all, McCormick urged the Telecommunications subcommittee to remove the provision that would help encourage municipal networks.
It’s time that folks stood up against the selling out of our digital rights to such powerful special interests as the USTA and NCTA.
