In order to make sure that no real, substantive ones take shape....
It's
generally agreed upon that this nation has no broadband policy
whatsoever. We can probably all also agree that actually changing this
might be a good idea for a supposed global technology leader. Of course
the growing chorus on this front has the nation's largest ISPs
concerned that a real broadband plan could hit them in the pocketbook.
Their solution? Create something that vaguely looks like a national
broadband strategy, but exists primarily to protect the interests of
the incumbent cable and phone companies.
In order to pre-empt any real national broadband policy from
taking shape, the nation's largest broadband companies are collectively
crafting their own anti-consumer "national broadband policy," and
pushing it through Congress as a cure-all while consumers and the media
nap.
Last week AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and a handful of other
tiny companies sent a letter to Congress asking them to embrace a
"national broadband policy." In it, the traditionally
regulation-petrified ISPs suddenly embrace two new laws, both of which
involve the belief that a group named Connected Nation is a broadband
panacea. The letter cites a dubious study by this same group issued
earlier this year, claiming their particular plan would give a $134
billion cash infusion to the economy.
We cannot afford to let another year go by without adopting
policies that will stimulate the economy in such ways, while expanding
use of the networks that are already deployed and providing broadband
in previously under served areas. That is why we urge you to work in a
bipartisan, bicameral way to enact federal legislation this year.
Oh, delicious bicameralism! But wait: aren't you guys the same
companies that have fought accurate broadband penetration mapping tooth
and nail in court, sued the living hell out of cities and towns for
wiring themselves with broadband, and have repeatedly shown you have
absolutely no interest in deploying broadband into rural America? Any
reasonable skeptic has to smell something funny in the water. That
something funny is this: in order to pre-empt any real national
broadband policy from taking shape, the nation's largest broadband
companies are collectively crafting their own anti-consumer "national
broadband policy," and pushing it through Congress as a cure-all while
consumers and the media nap.
Their motivation is obvious. Were a real, substantive
national broadband plan crafted, it would include input from consumer
advocates, respected Internet visionaries and involve objective (not
farmed think tank) science. It would involve high standards,
high-quality mapping and significant subsidized deployment, but it
would also hold these companies accountable for how subsidies are
spent. If done right (and granted that's wishful thinking with today's
politicians from both parties), it would be everything the USF isn't.
That's a nightmare for any investor-driven incumbent operator, who like
their taxpayer handouts with no accountability.
So instead, they've cooked up a dog and pony show starring a
group called Connected Nation, which has been criticized in our forums
for being little more than a lobbying and policy vehicle for incumbent
ISPs. In a report last January, Art Brodsky of consumer advocacy outfit
Public Knowledge had this to say about Connected Nation:
(The judgment of independent ISPs who've worked with them) is that
Connect Kentucky is nothing more than a sales force and front group for
AT&T paid for by the telecommunications industry and by state and
federal governments that has achieved far more in publicity than it has
in actual accomplishment. Connect helps to promote AT&T services,
while lobbying at the state capitol for the deregulation legislation
the telephone company wants.
So what is Connected Nation's ingenious national broadband
plan? The group takes state and federal funds to map broadband
penetration, and returns with a rosy progress report suggesting things
are generally ok, with only a few quick fixes necessary. Of course
nobody can independently confirm whether they're telling the truth
because the FCC's own broadband statistics are (some would argue quite
intentionally) complete garbage. Connected Nation then sends out teams
with glossy brochures (pdf) into specifically targeted under-served
communities, promoting the joys of broadband (and incumbent services)
while acting as "trusted advisers" to frequently oblivious local
leaders.
Those advisers act to funnel local business primarily to
incumbents, promote incumbent-supported policies, and wow lawmakers
with increasingly rosy (and inaccurate) statistics showing what a great
job they're doing fixing the nation's broadband problems. In the end,
your taxpayer dollars would go toward a "national broadband plan"
that's little more than a very sophisticated lobbying and sales front
for AT&T, Comcast and Verizon. It actually could be worse than
having no national policy at all, as the plan could act to mask the
nation's broadband shortcomings.
In this multi-billion dollar industry, where every policy
decision has a massive impact on tremendous capex budgets, the phone
and cable companies have shown they have no problem doing whatever it
takes to get what they want in Washington -- including the creation of
completely artificial consumer advocacy organizations. The idea that
these companies would create an equally disingenuous organization
tasked with crafting a wimpy, unaccountable, subsidy-laden national
broadband policy is not much of an imaginative stretch.
The nation's incumbent operators "want to slow down the
effort to get broadband to the remaining 6-9 million U.S. homes that
can't be served, putting 6-18 months of red tape in front of getting
anything done," says respected (at least until he starts asking
questions) industry analyst Dave Burstein. Burstein notes that of the
24 signers to last week's letter, only two are legitimate non-profit
groups who "presumably didn't understand the agenda they were signing
on to."
But as I've documented, not only are these companies willing
to create completely artificial consumer groups to get what they want,
they often pay existing minority or disability groups to parrot phone
or cable company positions. These positions very frequently run
completely opposite to constituent best interests, but are often
necessary if these groups want money for that shiny new events center.
Support from both fake and co-opted advocacy groups create the illusion
of broad support for anti-consumer policies, which is how Uncle Sam
often justifies passing idiotic telecom laws.
"The giveaway was seeing APT on the list, Sam Simon's
front," says Burstein. Sam Simon runs a PR firm named Issue Dynamics,
hired by the baby bells to engage in convincing lawmakers and the
public that bad ideas really are good for them. Burstein's conclusion?
"Some very well paid lobbyists are trying to take over (the idea of a
national broadband plan) and raid the U.S. Treasury."
Whether they succeed will depend on whether the media (oh look, an iPhone!), consumers and lawmakers let them.
Printed courtesy of dslreports.com and author Peter I. Collins |
