FCC Bashing on Multiple Fronts

The "interplay" of three pending Federal Communications Commission issues -- the "unlocked" set-top box proposal, privacy rules and "the ultimate resolution of network neutrality -- is impeding cable industry development and improperly putting a government imprimatur on the notion of competition," National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) president/CEO Michael Powell said March 23 at the Free State Foundation’s Eighth Annual Telecom Policy Conference.

Expanding his criticism of several FCC initiatives, Powell cited the agency's "biases [towards] the development of tech companies" that "makes it possible for tech companies to invade our traditional areas" but prohibits cable firms from moving in their direction. He singled out the recent privacy proposal that would affect Internet Service Providers (including cable operators) in different ways than it would impact content or application suppliers. "Privacy is not controversial; it is the hypocritical inconsistency that is controversial," Powell said. "You cannot describe that data collection and monetization is the justification for this level of rules while ignoring the fact that [similar actions] take place on every other platform that consumers use." Powell challenged the FCC to find a way to differentiate "between the value of privacy and personalization" without taking a heavy-handed approach. He also slammed the set-top box proceeding, saying that it "perfectly encapsulates government intervention."