Communications Workers of America Local 9421, Sacramento, Warns Against Internet Reclassification to Title II Common Carrier Service

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9421 of Sacramento sent a letter in response to Congresswoman Doris Matsui's net neutrality forum this week. In its letter, the CWA's Executive Vice President and Legislative-Political Director, Robert Longer, expressed concern over organizations calling for new rules and urged policymakers about the threat of reclassifying the Internet as a Title II public utility:

"These rules, known as Title II, have historically been applied to entrenched telephone monopolies and have little relationship to the Internet, a constantly evolving, highly competitive ecosystem. And even though the Title II rules are extensive, they would not stop paid prioritization, which critics seem to allege."

"…these rules would do great damage to the Internet and could have devastating consequences for California's economy, which is heavily reliant on its fast-growing tech industry. By subjecting broadband to invasive new regulation, Title II rules could inhibit innovation and competition, the two factors that have propelled the Internet forward since its early years.

…The Commission has the opportunity to construct a regulatory regime that would give a boost to the Internet and further encourage the innovation that has been the key to its success. The Commission should seize this moment to protect the Internet's unique nature, while ensuring the continuation of investment that will grow jobs and close the digital divide."

The full letter reads as follows:

Dear Representative Matsui:

In recent months, the Federal Communications Commission has indicated Internet regulations may be in for a major revision. As your office gathers tech leaders to discuss the new rules, the Communications Workers of America urges you to consider how certain rules could affect the Internet's future.

The CWA represents 700,000 workers in communications, media, airlines, manufacturing and the public service sector – all fields heavily dependent on a robust and open Internet. The Internet is so important to our group that we, along with 46 other organizations, launched the "Speed Matters" campaign to promote policies that would improve the Internet. Our commitment to the Internet is what makes us so concerned by calls for the Internet to be regulated as the telephone network.

In response to a court ruling earlier this year striking down parts of the Open Internet Order, certain groups have called on the FCC to pass new rules that will expand regulators' control over the Internet. These rules, known as Title II, have historically been applied to entrenched telephone monopolies and have little relationship to the Internet, a constantly evolving, highly competitive ecosystem. And even though the Title II rules are extensive, they would not stop paid prioritization, which critics seem to allege.

However, these rules would do great damage to the Internet and could have devastating consequences for California's economy, which is heavily reliant on its fast-growing tech industry. By subjecting broadband to invasive new regulation, Title II rules could inhibit innovation and competition, the two factors that have propelled the Internet forward since its early years.

The lightly regulated approach to the Internet, adopted in 1996 during the Clinton Administration with overwhelming bipartisan support, has led to unprecedented investment into Internet infrastructure – over $1 trillion over that time period.

It is vital that we maintain this pace of investment. An advanced broadband network is needed to let the US compete globally. The Internet service industry is also a leading job creator, supporting nearly 11 million jobs in the U.S. Any new rules must ensure there is sufficient investment to keep creating jobs in this sector.

The Internet certainly needs rules of the road to ensure the free flow of information for all Internet users. FCC oversight is indeed essential to the Internet's success. That is why the CWA has supported grounding Open Internet rules in Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act and suggested that no blocking and anti-discrimination rules be based on a 'commercially reasonable' standard in our national organization's filing to the FCC.

The CWA also supports strengthening transparency and disclosure rules, which would make the Internet work better for its users without threatening to dampen investment. The rules would address issues that exist today, rather than trying to fix what is not broken.

The Commission has the opportunity to construct a regulatory regime that would give a boost to the Internet and further encourage the innovation that has been the key to its success. The Commission should seize this moment to protect the Internet's unique nature, while ensuring the continuation of investment that will grow jobs and close the digital divide.

Sincerely,

Robert Longer
Executive Vice President and Legislative-Political Director
Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9421, Sacramento

Enclosure: Letter to the Editor, published in the Sacramento Bee on August 14, 2014

Protecting an open Internet and encouraging investment

Published: Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014 - 5:08 pm
Last Modified: Friday, Aug. 15, 2014 - 6:05 pm

The Internet has been called the fundamental infrastructure of the 21st century. Policies that advance building out/upgrading of our high-speed networks are expanding union jobs in the industry, providing affordable access and digital capabilities for American households and businesses.

The FCC is proposing new rules to protect the open Internet, but some advocacy groups want to fundamentally alter how we access and use it. They want to put the Internet under regulations created in the 1930s for the telephone industry and treat it as a utility service similar to power, roads and drinking water. It's not hard to anticipate the long-term consequences of locking the Internet into outdated regulation.

We don't need regulation that relegates the Internet to the status of a utility. What we need is a balance between protecting an open Internet and encouraging investment to upgrade broadband networks and create jobs.

-- Robert Longer, Executive Vice President & Legislative-Political Director, Communications Workers of America, Local 9421, Sacramento

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/14/6629922/protecting-an-open-internet-and.html

Web: www.cwalocal9421.org

SOURCE Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9421 of Sacramento