Posted by: Jim Cicconi on March 18, 2011 at 11:26 am
On Wednesday, Chairman Genachowski outlined his goals for spectrum reform to deliver on the promise and potential of this country’s mobile broadband future. In response, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) issued two separate statements promising (again) that broadcasters will work with policymakers to address our country’s spectrum challenges, but then demonstrating that NAB is not yet interested in real cooperation.
First, NAB attempted to sell the notion that their 1950’s-era broadcast transmission model is somehow a superior technology – as if nothing better has happened technologically in the last 50 years. Then, they seem to argue that consumers really prefer their model, despite overwhelming evidence that U.S. consumers are embracing, indeed demanding, the “any content, anywhere” promise of mobile broadband. Any American even remotely aware of what’s going on knows this. Simply put, consumers no longer want the old, centrally-controlled content delivery model the broadcasters offer. Only 10% of households now depend on over-the-air television, and that number is dropping like a stone.
As if striving for a trifecta of incongruity, NAB then insinuated the problem isn’t their own massive warehousing and underuse of precious spectrum resources. Instead, the problem is everyone else. It’s not their 1950′s transmission method that’s inefficient; the fault is with modern devices that receive their signals. And somehow those companies making the largest capital investments in the U.S., and perhaps the largest private capital investments in American history, aren’t investing fast enough to suit the broadcasters.
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Posted by: AT&T Blog Team on March 9, 2011 at 12:55 pm
The U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology today held a hearing on H.J. Res 37, disapproving of the FCC’s net neutrality order, which the Commission adopted in December. Jim Cicconi, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President of External and Legislative Affairs, delivered the following statement:
Chairman Walden, Ranking Member Eshoo, Chairman Upton, Chairman Waxman, Chairman Barton, distinguished members of the committee, thank you for inviting me to testify today on behalf of my company, AT&T. I recognize it is unusual to be asked to testify on a resolution on which we’ve not taken a position. However, as I’m sure all of you know, we have been involved for years in the issue that underlies H.J. Res. 37, and that is the protracted dispute over net neutrality regulation by the FCC.
Let me first stress that AT&T has long supported the “broadband principles” laid out by the FCC six years ago. We support an open Internet, and have promised to abide by that concept. But like many issues that start from a shared belief, this one quickly devolved into a long and contentious debate over specifics: whether the FCC should be able to enforce the broadband principles; whether a broad set of rules was needed; what legal authority the FCC has to put any such rules in place. And all of this despite any real evidence of a problem.
As in most regulatory debates, this one has not lacked for radical voices. Many sought heavy-handed government regulation and control of free markets… some for commercial advantage, others to advance their own ideology. Since this debate began back in 2005, AT&T has consistently opposed any FCC regulation of Internet services or facilities. This is still our strong preference today. We feel the antitrust laws, the Federal Trade Act, and the discipline of highly competitive markets are more than adequate to police any potential abuses.
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Posted by: Joan Marsh on March 2, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Tomorrow, the FCC will meet to consider three related items that focus on increasing the deployment of telecommunications services on Tribal Lands. One of those items will specifically explore a range of recommendations to help close the wireless gap on Tribal Lands.
Wireless and broadband deployment continue to present unique challenges for many Tribal Lands in the nation. But that is not true everywhere. AT&T is today deploying a wireless broadband network on Tribal Lands in North Dakota, South Dakota and California and is committed to providing residents of those Native Nations with high quality wireless broadband services.
A bit of background: On June 22, 2010, the Commission unanimously approved the transfer of licenses and authorizations to AT&T in connection with Verizon’s sale of certain Alltel assets. In approving the license transfer, the Commission adopted a series of commitments made by AT&T to deploy wireless broadband networks and services to the acquired markets, many of which included Tribal Lands. More specifically, AT&T dedicated a capital budget of over $400 million to upgrade the network assets throughout the acquired markets by deploying a high speed HSPA broadband network. The FCC also specifically sought to ensure the continuity of high quality, low cost wireless services to the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, which also fell within the service area of the assets acquired by AT&T. AT&T committed to provide those services, dependent upon transfer of the appropriate eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) designation.
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