Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home IT Management
    • IT Management

    ISPs Fight to Keep Net Access

    By
    Caron Carlson
    -
    July 28, 2003
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The Federal Communications Commission is considering redefining broadband access as an information service, regardless of whether it is provided by a telephone company, a cable company or any other vendor.

      But what sounds like a lot of regulatory minutiae comes down to one main issue: Who will offer low-cost broadband services in the future if telephone companies no longer have to give rival carriers access to local networks?

      Information services are not subject to the panoply of federal regulations regarding interconnection, resale and network access—as well as public safety and law enforcement rules—that telecommunications services are subject to. Today, broadband access sold by a cable company is deemed an information service, but broadband access sold by a phone company is deemed a telecom service.

      “Government policy is unfair. Its wrong; its outdated,” Thomas Tauke, senior vice president for government relations at Verizon Communications Inc., in Washington, said to lawmakers last week. “Were regulated to beat the band. This isnt right.”

      For residential broadband users, the question of deregulating the telcos broadband services perhaps isnt grave. Cable is available to most homes in the United States, guaranteeing at least two broadband pipes into most residences.

      For enterprises that rely on low-cost broadband, however, the situation is different. While the major cable companies have talked about hooking into the business world, most enterprises cannot buy broadband from them today. In addition, cable connectivity typically does not provide the upstream capacity businesses need.

      Generally, businesses have a choice of low-cost broadband access from the telephone company or CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carriers), which usually rely on the telcos for last-mile connections to customers. According to Thomas Jones, a partner with the law firm of Wilkie, Farr & Gallagher, which represents Allegiance Telecom Inc., Time Warner Telecom Inc. and other CLECs, eliminating the telcos obligation to rent local loops to competitors would likely destroy competition in the business broadband market.

      ISPs are also concerned about the potential definitional change. David Baker, vice president of law and public policy at EarthLink Inc., in Atlanta, told Congress last week that the FCC is “tilting the playing field in favor of incumbent providers.”

      The telcos have many allies in Congress in both parties working to relieve them of regulatory burdens.

      Avatar
      Caron Carlson

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Information

      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×