House Telecom Subcommittee Passes e911, Broadband Data Bills

HOUSE TELECOM SUBCOMMITTEE PASSES E911, BROADBAND DATA BILLS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The House Telecommunications & Internet Subcommittee voted to approve first drafts of bills that would improve the FCC's broadband data collection process and would make it the law of the land that voice over Internet protocol (VOiP) phone service providers have the interconnection access they need to make sure emergency (e911) calls go to a local operator. While the two bills passed unanimously, they still must go through some more negotiation before a vote in the full Commerce Committee. Among the key issues are how much company data the FCC will have access to in its broadband collection process. Some Republicans are concerned that the bill in its current form does not sufficiently protect sensitive corporate information. Among the changes to the broadband bill worked out in what Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey called a bipartisan negotiation, was no longer redefining broadband as speeds of at least 2 megabits per second and no longer making gathering of information on prices and speeds an industry obligation, but a consumer survey conducted by the FCC. The survey will include what types of broadband applications and services consumers most use.
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