WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Environment, Technology, & Regulatory Affairs William Kovacs issued the following statement today following the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) vote to formally begin the “Restoring Internet Freedom” rulemaking:
“We are pleased that the FCC under Chairman Pai’s leadership has formally taken the first step toward rolling back the Title II, public-utility-style regulation of the internet. It’s also worth noting that the chairman is moving forward in a transparent way and seeking input from an array of stakeholders.
“Americans and businesses are reliant on a strong and thriving internet. Policies, like Title II regulation, that reduce investment in the internet deprive people of the technologies they want for recreation, and need for commerce, such as 5G and the internet of things. Study after study continues to show that investment in broadband infrastructure has decreased since the previous administration’s 2015 adoption of public-utility style regulation for broadband. The cause isn’t net neutrality; it’s FCC’s classification of broadband under Title II.
“The Chamber agrees with Chairman Pai that ‘the best solution would be for Congress to tell us what they want the rules of the road to be for the FCC and the country when it comes to the digital world.’ Congress and not agencies should define the regulatory framework that guides industries. We encourage lawmakers to permanently preserve net neutrality and at the same time prevent agencies from treating innovative technologies from being treated like public utilities.”
