Broadband, Wireless Are Focus of Congressional Research
Wireless, broadband and privacy issues are among recent areas of inquiry by members of Congress, according to recent Congressional Research Service reports. Congress is eager to see the FCC produce a national broadband strategy and other federal government offices carry out programs authorized by the recent stimulus law, one report said. A major concern is dealing with the long-term effects of next-generation networks on consumer use of the Internet and with the challenges to regulators in keeping pace with the technology, said a report on broadband.
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The demand for real-time access to information, increased use of social networking, and electronic commerce have increased pressure on Congress to deal with privacy issues, the report said. Technology changes may require a wholesale update of the 1996 Telecommunication Act. As broadband becomes more widespread and the U.S. moves away from conventional phone service, Congress must consider how to achieve social objectives such as universal service, timely and accurate emergency services, disability access and consumer protection, the broadband report said.
While most agree that a national broadband policy is needed to help provide universal coverage in the U.S., those involved disagree when “the debate focuses on specific policies and measures the federal government should take to reach those goals,” the broadband report said. Any discussion leads to questions of how government intervention in the market may affect private deployment, it said. How much government should intervene is what the interests disagree about, the report said.
Regulators may be called on to take up wireless broadband, two reports said. Demand for spectrum is “intense” and there are questions about how spectrum should be doled out and whether specific entities such as rural or small providers should get priority. “The need to harmonize spectrum allocations worldwide is also a key policy issue,” a report said. “Harmonization enables network operators and equipment manufacturers to realize significant economies of scope and scale and facilitates global interoperability for consumers.” Gaining access to the market is “paramount,” the report said, and debate has broken out over proposed “open access” requirements that spell out how suppliers and users gain access to networks, applications and consumers.
“There are some signs that industry players have begun to voluntarily, to a limited degree, embrace openness principles for wireless devices and applications,” the report said. But the wireless industry “continues to be restrictive,” a matter likely to become the subject of congressional legislation.
Policy issues are springing up concerning text messaging and common short codes, said another report. Of concern is spam and lack of disclosure about third-party services such as ring tones and other applications that providers sell. “Congress may wish to investigate whether customers are being offered the best possible options to assure that they are not receiving unwanted text messages,” the report said. Congress may also wish to consider “whether and how political and other speech might be better protected” when providers adopt policies about blocking common short codes, the report said.