Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras today told a meeting of the Progress & Freedom Foundation that she has formed an Internet Access Task Force to examine issues being raised by converging technologies and regulatory developments, as well as to educate and inform the enforcement, advocacy, and education initiatives of the commission.
The Progress & Freedom Foundation is a market-oriented think tank that studies the digital revolution and its implications for public policy. Its mission is to educate policymakers, opinion leaders, and the public about issues associated with technological change, based on a philosophy of limited government, free markets, and individual sovereignty.
Majoras says there are points that should be considered before enactment of legislation to regulate the Internet, since regulation will have impact “for years to come.”
“I have asked the Internet Access Task Force to address what is likely the most hotly debated issue in communications: so-called ‘network neutrality,’” says Majoras. “The FTC’s Internet Access Task Force is looking carefully at the issues raised by calls for network neutrality laws.”
Majoras urges caution in proceeding with the issue and questions “the starting assumption that government regulation, rather than the market itself under existing laws, will provide the best solution to a problem.”
Majoras says competition generally leads to the best results for consumers, that free markets breed innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship, and markets—particularly dynamic markets—are usually self-correcting.
“I ask myself whether consumers will stand for an Internet that suddenly imposes restrictions on their ability to freely explore the Internet or does not provide for the choices they want,” says Majoras. “And I further ask why network providers would not continue to compete for consumers’ dollars by offering more choices, not fewer. We make a mistake when we think about market scenarios simply as dealings between and among companies; let us not forget who reigns supreme: the consumer.”
Majoras adds that the FTC, Department of Justice, and Federal Communications Commission all play roles in protecting competition in the market.
“We should not forget that we already have in place an existing law-enforcement and regulatory structure. Before adding to it, we should determine that the current scheme is insufficient to address potential issues as they may arise in this area,” says Majoras.
The chairwoman also stresses that, should broadband providers engage in “anti-competitive conduct,” the FTC will not hesitate to utilize its existing authority.
A workshop to hear testimony to study the issues stemming from converging technologies is set for Nov. 6-9. Majoras also says the FTC will host a conference with “an array of experts from around the world to inform us about what they see as emerging trends, applications, products, services, and issues over the next 10 years.”
A preliminary agenda for the hearings, called “Protecting Consumers in the Next Tech-Ade,” today is being released. Copies of the agenda can be found at FTC.gov/bcp/workshops/techade/tech-ade_agenda_preliminary.pdf.
