Congress Contemplates Convergence

CONGRESS CONTEMPLATES CONVERGENCE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing Thursday on the impact of technological convergence on competition. Among the issues that were raised by witnesses included discrimination in Internet service, spectrum set-asides for unlicensed wireless devices, phone interconnection for cable voice services, and video franchising. Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) said that despite the proliferation of alternate platforms, cable and phone companies continue to dominate broadband, representing over 98% of the market and "in too many parts of the country, Americans still lack a real choice in competitive broadband alternatives." He also made it clear where he was headed: "It is our hope that as we level the playing field we will seek the most deregulatory course possible consistent with the public interest."
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