FCC Triennial Report to Congress: Open Internet Order Was Pro-Small Business

The Federal Communications Commission released "Section 257 Triennial Report to Congress Identifying and Eliminating Market Entry Barriers For Entrepreneurs and other Small Businesses." The FCC under Chairman Tom Wheeler says it has created "unprecedented opportunities for new and diverse media voices to find audiences," primarily through Open Internet policies like Title II reclassification of Internet service providers. The FCC was asked by Congress to give a status report every three years and to make recommendations for legislative changes that would further the goals of "1) diversity of media voices, 2) vigorous economic competition, 3) technological advancement, and 4) promotion of the public convenience and necessity."

One of the changes the FCC is looking for, while Congress is asking, is more time to investigate complaints, saying that the current one-year statute of limitations should be tripled to three years, arguing that would "strengthen its ability to enforce its rules, "including its activities to protect small businesses." While it says it has acted on numerous fronts, the most important has been "the development of an open, interconnected broadband ecosystem that has given small firms access to marketing and production capabilities that were once available only to large and established firms." "Our Open Internet Order protects entrepreneurs and small businesses’ free and open access to the Internet, enabling innovation without permission," said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. "We all know the stories of young entrepreneurs who used the open Internet to start companies in dorm-rooms and garages that would eventually topple incumbents to become world-leading companies. But fast, fair, and open networks don’t just offer a platform to build web-based companies, they also help small brick-and-mortar businesses grow." The report argues that high-speed access has "radically" lowered small business entry costs, and has also "taken action to create new opportunities for small companies to acquire crucial inputs such as wireless spectrum and broadcast licenses" and has "reduced paperwork requirements for small firms."