There is no shortage of people in Washington who wholeheartedly object to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s plans to guarantee a free and open internet. For many it constitutes a classic government agency overreach and for that reason should be staunchly opposed. But such is the case with this complex issue that a member of the pro-network neutrality crowd also thinks it should be staunchly opposed because it doesn’t reach nearly far enough. Such are the views of Sen. Al Franken (D-MN).
Franken had promised to look over Genachowski’s proposal just before it was made public, and now that its out, he isn’t very happy with it.
According to a Hillicon Valley report, Franken is afraid that the ISP community will consider any “closing off of the internet’ that is not specifically addressed in the document as within bounds. He said with that threat looming, no regulation at all would be better than the proposal coming before the Commission 12/21/10.
Franken also said provisions relating to wireless broadband were insufficient, objected to a failure to bar paid prioritization, and said that the phrase “internet access service” was too narrowly defined.
RBR-TVBR observation: Whatever Genachowski does, it is liable to be shredded when the incoming chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce gets his hands on it. Fred Upton (R-MI) is one of the other kind of Genachowski-proposal opponents – he’s in the classic overreach camp.
