High-stakes battles engulf FCC

Policy battles that have been mounting for months are poised to engulf the Federal Communications Commission in the final months of the Obama Administration. Sept 8 marks the deadline for FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to say whether he will bring any of three major policy proposals to a vote at the commission’s meeting in September.

Major corporate players have a stake in all three debates. One proposal could give Americans more ways to watch television and, possibly, replace their living room set-top box. A second would crack down on how internet providers use customers’ personal data. And a third has the potential to bring changes to an obscure but valuable market for broadband connections that are used by big business.