FCC Moves to Regulate Internet

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/thirdway/index

Quote:

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/68003

“FCC Moves to Regulate Internet—Even Though the Law Calls for Internet to be ‘Unfettered by Federal or State Regulation’”
Friday, June 18, 2010
By Matt Cover, Staff Writer

(CNSNews.com) –

SNIPPET: “This last approach, presented at the hearing as the “third way,” is the preferred avenue of Genachowski, who unveiled the plan in May.

The “third way” approach would still allow the government the authority to heavily regulate the Internet because it would be classified as a telecom service. However, under this approach, the FCC claims it will exercise “forbearance,” a regulatory doctrine whereby the government promises not use its regulatory authority in most cases.

Commissioner Michael Copps, at the FCC, sought to frame the issue in terms of consumer protection, claiming that “consumers find themselves in quite a box” because government, he claimed, had been “all but shorn” of the authority to regulate Internet service.

Copps said he was “worried” about relying purely on the private sector for Internet-based innovation, saying that the problems of such an approach could be seen in the 2008 financial collapse and the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

“We need to reclaim our authority,” Copps said.”