Mike Doyle (D-PA) said that some of his constituents are worried about having innovative internet ventures stifled or restricted by ISPs in the future, and concurred with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s decision to bring certain Title II powers into play. He also denounced an Americans for Prosperity anti-neutrality ad campaign as false.
Doyle only briefly touched on the AFP campaign – he said what was false was the charge that in using certain Title II powers, the FCC was attempting to “take over the Internet.” In a letter to Genachowski, he said of that claim, “As you definitely know, those allegations are untrue.”
He said the FCC move to Title II, along with a congressional update of the Communications Act, were the necessary prescriptions moving forward.
Doyle concluded, “Before I came to Congress, I hated having to rent the black rotary phone in our house, and I resented the lack of choices I, and other consumers had. And when I entered Congress, during the heat of the debate over what became the 1996 Telecommunications Act, I voted for the final legislation because I felt it was designed with consumers’ interest in mind. Since then, we’ve seen an explosion of new products and services that rely on an open internet for survival. And consumers in my district want faster speeds from their telecommunications provider because of the new and expanded services that information service providers offer – like video, gaming and more. I look forward to working with you as the FCC completes its work to reassert its Congressionally-mandated role to protect consumers and promote the public interest.”
