Video Regulation “Certainty,” IP Transition, Net Neutrality Top Lobbyists’ FCC Wish List

Beyond the wishful thinking title “If I Were the FCC Chairman…,” Tuesday’s Free State Foundation seminar provided a prescient checklist of what major telecom organizations are expecting Tom Wheeler, the nominee for that job, to put atop his To Do list.

Predictably, the lobbyists on the panel – from Time Warner Cable, Verizon and Public Knowledge – prioritized their own objectives, although there was overlap (and differing viewpoints) on topics such as the Internet Protocol (IP) transition, spectrum policy and data caps. There was also a fascinating call for the in-coming FCC chairman “to bring in engineers and economists.” Deborah Taylor Tate, a former FCC Commissioner and now an FSF Distinguished Adjunct Senior Follow, in wrap-up remarks after the panelists spoke, jokingly asked “Who in the world needs another lawyer at the FCC?” It was a notable conclusion since Wheeler is not an attorney.

Gigi Sohn, president and CEO of the advocacy group Public Knowledge, put the IP transition atop her list, insisting that “interconnection between networks must be in place as soon as IP is in place.” She also cited data caps, consumer protection and spectrum caps as her top objectives. Sohn agreed the “broken video system” must be fixed, starting with elimination of regulations and action on the All-Vid proceeding, which has not moved. To the surprise of many, Sohn said, in reference to the Circuit Court’s deliberations on Verizon’s challenge to ‘net neutrality rules that Title II “has to be the last resort.” “A narrow fix is better than going through the ‘nuclear option’ of Title II,” Sohn added. During a follow-up discussion session about video policies, Sohn also noted that there is currently “no clear alternative to the [cable] set-top box” and that the “cable card stinks.”