ITIF filed comments last week with the House Energy and Commerce Committee in response to explorations in updating the Communications Act being undertaken by committee Chairman Fred Upton and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden. ITIF commended these efforts to modernize a badly outdated law. We advocated for a light-touch federal framework that would not unduly burden innovation in our nation’s networks or the applications and services that use them. ITIF urged the committee to proceed with humility as to predicting changes in communications technology and markets – the dynamic competition in today’s communications counsels against ambitious intervention. At the same time, there is undoubtedly a continued role for the FCC. The Commission’s role should generally shift to one of policing markets, correcting anti-competitive or consumer-harming behavior. The government should also be empowered to encourage broadband adoption and build-out where appropriate.
