Competition, Neutrality, and Other Words That Don’t Mean Price Regulation
At Thursday’s meeting, by a 3-2 party line vote, the FCC adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks comment on a new rate regulation regime for business data services. In the lead up to that vote, NCTA made clear that we object to the proposal because it radically departs from four decades of bipartisan policy by proposing to regulate the rates of new facilities-based entrants. That such an approach would deter investment and competition seems obvious, but apparently not to this FCC. At the meeting and the subsequent press conference, Chairman Wheeler defended his proposal on
Regulating the Insurgents
If there's one regulatory principle that has largely been inviolate over the past forty years, it is that new entrants should not be subject to rate regulation. FCC leaders through the decades have consistently recognized that incumbent-style rate regulation of new entrants only serves to discourage the investment necessary to spur competitive entry and the deployment of new and innovative services for American consumers. Until now. On Thursday, the FCC is poised to seek comment on a new regime for regulating commercial communications services traditionally known as “special access,” now
Winter is Coming for Set-top Boxes: How Game of Thrones and the FCC’s Set-Top Box Proposal are Intertwined
Last night, HBO’s wildly popular Game of Thrones returned for its sixth season. We won’t provide any spoilers for those who haven’t yet watched the show but we will highlight an aspect of the show that is important for tech policy and the FCC’s set-top box mandate. That aspect is how the show can be watched via so many sources, from different providers, as part of different packages and on many different devices. Last night, you could have watched Game of Thrones via the following devices besides the TV in your living room–smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming set-top boxes like Roku
The FCC Set-Top Box Mandate is Not Only Unnecessary but Legally Unsustainable
Twenty years ago, watching TV meant sitting at home in front of a television set, probably in the living room. It came through a box sitting next to the TV, and if you wanted to watch TV in a different room that it meant setting up a different box and a different connection. Today, apps, tablets, smartphones, streaming services, TV Everywhere technology, and near-ubiquitous Wi-Fi have given consumers more choices than ever as to where, when, and how they watch TV. These innovations have come from all kinds of service providers and tech companies, all of which are innovating rapidly and to
The Expanding Consolidation of the Consumer Internet
Today the consumer Internet takes up over 50 percent of traffic in North America, coming from just 35hyper-giant websites. Take a look at the graphic below and you’ll see how quickly the Internet has consolidated. And that the top five are pretty unsurprising. [Click to Enlarge]
Calling All Entertainment and Technology Rising Stars, We Need YOU!
The roles of technology, entertainment, innovation, and influence are changing every day. INTX, the Internet and Television Expo, is the hub of that change and come May 16th in Boston, INTX will serve as the platform for the most exciting new ideas in these spaces. But we can’t do it alone. And we certainly can’t do it without the full breadth of intelligence and experience from across industries, disciplines, and perhaps most importantly, generations. That's why we’re offering a new program at INXT this year called INTXgen. Designed specifically for younger professionals within NCTA member
White House May Think Weighing in on Boxes is Good Politics, but It's Bad Government
This morning, the White House published a blog on an ongoing FCC proceeding discussing the future of TV technology and weighing in on what kind of set top box you should have in your home. We are disappointed that White House political advisers are choosing to inject politics and inflammatory rhetoric into a regulatory proceeding by what is supposed to be an independent agency. Consumers and regulated companies have the right to expect decisions affecting their businesses are made based on sound analysis of the record and not the political interests of the executive branch. To see the White
The FCC’s War on Investment Targets Business Data Services
Another month, another FCC initiative to regulate companies that build networks for the benefit of those that don’t. But rather than wade into the details of Chairman Wheeler’s plan to penalize cable operators for bringing new services, fresh competition, and billions in investment to the market for business data services, we offer the following hypothetical: Imagine a town with a single hotel, say a large Marriott. After years of having a single option for hotel rooms, Kimpton comes to town and builds a new “boutique” hotel – smaller than the Marriott but with modern amenities and cheaper
Keeping Human Connections Real and Authentic in the Digital Age
Most of us are guilty of it. We pull out our phones in mid-conversation with someone else, or make sure it’s at a reachable distance even as we get ready for bed at night. We’ve come to live off of our phones and personal devices because of the great information and instant connections that they bring us, but are we letting ourselves lose face-to-face time with others as a result? At an event earlier this month hosted by Common Sense on raising kids in a digitally connected world, renowned author Sherry Turkle told a crowd of educators, parents, and professionals in Washington, D.C., that
Discovery VR is Celebrating the Story that is Earth
Discovery has long been known for telling the story of all that is Earth. And while that core story hasn’t changed, the way the network is telling or will tell that story in the future will only get more intimate, personal, complimentary, and exciting. Launched last August, Discovery VR features content that not only plays off some of Discovery’s on-air programming, but that also spans several of Discovery’s linear and web-native networks and content that is independent of Discovery as well. Audiences can dive under water in the Bahamas and swim with sharks from the angle of a diver, up close