CTIA chief lashes back at FCC chair on network neutrality

CTIA President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker sharply disagreed with comments by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler about how the mobile Internet should be regulated.

He suggested that wired and wireless networks should be regulated the same way under the next set of Open Internet rules. The growth of mobile networks since 2010 proves that specialized rules are best, Baker said. “The growth of smartphones and LTE -- and the constant change in our ecosystem -- is the clearest evidence we should retain a mobile-specific approach because it has worked so well for consumers,” Baker said. Baker also blamed wireline service providers for pushing a single set of rules. “Now, I understand that rival platforms want the FCC to put its thumb on LTE, because LTE is becoming -- and becoming is the key word -- more robust and more dynamic,” Baker said. “If I were a wired company, I would be nervous about how bright our future is, too, if the FCC keeps the right rules.”