Statement from NCTA President & CEO Kyle McSlarrow regarding FCC approval of the Open Internet item:

“Our consistent view has been that the current ‘openness’ of the broadband marketplace can be preserved while simultaneously fostering the innovation and massive private investment needed to ensure the future growth and vitality of the Internet.  While we agree entirely with Commissioners McDowell and Baker that new regulation is not necessary to accomplish that goal, it has been clear for some time that there were three votes at the Commission for rules that would go much farther than those adopted today.  Thus, the question before us has been whether rules could be drafted in a manner that avoids a raft of unintended consequences and that preserves broadband providers’ ability to innovate and invest in a marketplace that justly represents a great American success story.  

“As I have stated previously, months of negotiations and discussions have led to a rough consensus of rules that we believe can accomplish those goals and avoid the extreme and counterproductive demands for rate regulation, unbundling of networks, and reclassification under Title II.   While we will reserve final judgment until after we have an opportunity to closely review the text of the Order once it is released, it appears that the rules themselves contain that compromise consensus. 

“We would like to commend Chairman Genachowski and his staff for working in good faith toward a workable compromise on this set of issues.   While, like apparently everyone else in America, this would not be the Order we would have written, we do appreciate the attempt to provide certainty and to balance the openness of the Internet with the preservation of an incredibly dynamic and successful marketplace.”

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