WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission plans to hold field hearings in rural America on the best ways to connect those areas of the country to the Information Superhighway.
For one thing, local communities will not be able to dictate what kind of content should be offered in their communities, preventing a flood of stipulations for offering Internet access.
On June 10, FCC Chairman William Kennard met with a group of senators from farm states who want the FCC to subsidize Internet access to rural America in much the same way basic phone service is subsidized. Kennard said he would consider the proposal, but first would ask telecommunications carriers to comment on whether there are any FCC rules that need to be changed to improve Internet access to rural America.
Speaking to cable TV executives June 15, Kennard said he was surprised no one had appealed a ruling by a Portland, Ore., federal district judge that said Portland could force its cable TV franchisee to open up its lines to all Internet service providers. He spoke one day too early. On June 16, AT&T Corp., which recently bought Tele-Communications Inc. and was the subject of the Portland ruling, filed a lawsuit in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
“The development of real competition and choice in telecommunications is a matter of national policy, not municipal prerogative. As FCC Chairman Kennard emphasized yesterday, a town-by-town approach would create chaos that stymies investment and hurts consumers,” said Jim Cicconi, AT&T general counsel.
