Tech Companies Oppose Title II; Free Press to Hold Rally
Sixty tech companies, including Cisco, Ericsson and IBM, wrote FCC commissioners and congressional leaders Wednesday saying a Communications Act Title II approach on net neutrality could mean a $45.4 billion drop in capital investment over the next five years, a…
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Telecommunications Industry Association news release said. “The robust support for this letter demonstrates that Title II is a significant threat to the tech companies that build and support the Internet,” said Scott Belcher, CEO of TIA, which organized the letter, in the release. “These companies are at the heart of our economy, and are driving the innovation and investment that has made the Internet the revolutionary force it is today. This letter sends an unambiguous message that reclassifying Title II would be detrimental to today’s Internet, harming consumer, job creation and economic growth,” Belcher said. “Title II would lead to a slowdown, if not a hold, in broadband build out,” the letter said, “because if you don’t know that you can recover on your investment, you won’t make it. The investment shortfall would then flow downstream, landing first and squarely on technology companies like ours, and then working its way through the economy overall.” Groups advocating a Title II approach dismissed the letter. “The companies that hope to profit from a non-neutral net by selling hardware and software that support prioritization hate the idea of an open Internet. Shocking,” said Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld. "There are a couple of four-letter words that leap to mind," said Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood in an email. “Zero, and dumb.” The companies, “who chiefly supply hardware and spying technology to broadband providers, obviously have no problem parroting ISPs' empty claims about Title II," said Wood. "But there is zero evidence to support them.” Free Press also announced it will hold a rally before the commission’s Thursday morning meeting urging quick adoption of net neutrality rules under Title II, a release said. FCC Chairman Tom “Wheeler claims he needs more time to mull over Net Neutrality, but he should have all the info he needs right now to safeguard the open Internet,” Free Press Field Director Mary Alice Crim said in the release. “Americans can't afford any further delays. The overwhelming public support for Title II protections is all the agency needs to take immediate action."