Broadband group forms to protect consumer rights

A coalition of trade groups, equipment and software manufacturers, electronics retailers and entertainment companies has joined to protect the rights of broadband users to communicate across the Internet without interference from the companies that own broadband communications networks.

The Coalition of Broadband Users and Innovators (CBUI)--which counts amongst its members the Competitive Telecommunications Association (CompTel), the Association for Local Telecommunications Services (ALTS), and the Consumer Electronics Association, as well as mainstream household names such as Microsoft, Apple Computer, Radio Shack and the Walt Disney Co.--said in a letter to the FCC today that “the government must ensure that transmission network operators do not encumber relationships between their customers and destinations on the network.”

The letter was timed to influence the commission as it conducts its wireline and broadband proceedings, which could alter the rules governing high-speed Internet access over cable and telephone lines. One of the items being considered by the commission is whether telcos should continue to be forced to make high-speed data facilities available to competitors when cable modem providers have no such open-access requirement.

The coalition is concerned that broadband network operators will implement restrictions designed to block or impair access to “innovative” content, services and devices on the broadband network. According to Mark Uncapher, senior vice president and counsel, Internet division for coalition member Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), should the FCC remove the open-access requirement, a DSL provider could designate a sole Internet service provider, which would then be free to enter into restrictive arrangements with content providers.

“They could decide to give preferential treatment to Barnes and Noble over Amazon.com, or vice versa,” Uncapher said. “The facilities bottleneck would be the source of the problem. From the ITAA’s perspective, our preference would be a competitive ISP market.” Such a market would engender competitive pressures that would prevent such preferential treatment from developing, Uncapher said.

The CBUI said in the letter that Internet innovations have created millions of jobs and added billions of dollars to the national economy, none of which would have occurred absent the Internet’s open architecture.