shouting loudly

In a congressional hearing this week, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), chairman of the House telecommunications subcommittee, took the FCC to task over its recent track record of deregulating broadband.

Especially since 2001, the FCC has rolled back many of the policies that require those who own the broadband infrastructure to share their lines. Instead, the Commission has let incumbent local broadband providers–the largest cable and telephone companies–dictate the terms and conditions for their competitors’ access. Markey laments:

Many other Nations took one look at our broadband situation, learned from our experience, and took the opposite approach. Japan and U.K. implemented the very policies that the FCC had gradually eliminated in recent years, such as local loop unbundling and broadband resale, which facilitate competition using the incumbent’s plant, regardless of technology. These foreign competitors are now enjoying broadband success stories.

If you think current broadband policy is remarkably defective, you should thank Ed Markey for his efforts to turn things around. You can read a transcript of Markey’s testimony here.