Wireless Carriers Use Telework Docket to Slam Net-Neutrality Proposal
CTIA went on the attack, in a filing about telework, against FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s call to extend net- neutrality rules to wireless. The commission had sought comment about telework for its national broadband plan. CTIA’s filing is in line with predictions by FCC and industry officials that the network-neutrality proposal will dominate many discussions on the plan -- even though the nondiscrimination proposal probably will be handled in a separate proceeding before the commission considers the broadband plan early next year (CD Sept 22 p1).
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Wireless carriers were united in criticizing expansion of the rules to cover wireless, an industry source said Wednesday. But carriers are waiting for the details in a notice of proposed rulemaking concerning net neutrality to decide how big a campaign to mount at the FCC. A vote on the notice is expected at the commission’s October meeting, but its date hasn’t been set.
“The simple fact remains that wireless broadband networks are fundamentally different than other broadband networks for many reasons,” CTIA said. “The Commission should not attempt to shoehorn the modern, innovative wireless broadband industry into a definition crafted and applied for use on wireline technologies.” The group asked the FCC “to affirmatively recognize the different circumstances that militate against attempting to apply wireline rules to a wireless world.”
AT&T also touched on net neutrality in its telework comments. The carrier warned against “regulatory restrictions on a broadband provider’s ability to build and run smart networks” that could accommodate the “rapidly shifting traffic volumes” likely in a pandemic or other emergency. “Rather than contemplating prescriptive net neutrality rules that will disincent investments in smarter networks today, policymakers should encourage broadband providers to deploy the advanced network management technologies necessary to support telework and other critical communications so that the Nation is adequately prepared to respond to a pandemic or other major disaster in the future,” AT&T said.
Most comments highlighted the many benefits of telework to employers and employees. The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions said: “The Commission acknowledges that telework may transform the way we work and may have positive financial and environmental impacts. The Commission also correctly notes the value of telework in increasing output during natural disasters, outbreaks of disease, and other events that limit employees’ ability to be physically present at a particular location.”
ATIS’s Network Reliability Steering Committee developed a list of industry best practices for maintaining service and business continuity in a pandemic outbreak, ATIS said. The NRSC has prepared a checklist for use by the communications industry to prepare for hurricanes -- http://www.atis.org/nrsc/docs.asp.
“Mobility, security and smart network management” are keys to increasing the number of workers who can do their jobs remotely if necessary, AT&T said in its comments. The company has 134,000 employees who have secure remote access to the company’s virtual private network. And 42 percent of federal workers telework “at least part time” and 82 percent spend some work time out of the office every month, AT&T said.
“Organizations benefit from teleworking by reducing their carbon footprint, increasing job retention, improving the organization’s attractiveness to prospective employees, and improving access to non-traditional workers, such as workers living in lower income areas and workers whose location or physical condition makes commuting a challenge,” AT&T said. “Workers benefit from telework by eliminating distance and commuting as barriers to employment, improving job satisfaction, decreasing stress, and accessing employment opportunities that were previously foreclosed by disabilities, dependent care issues, or other personal or family obstacles.”
Meanwhile, President Randolph May of the Free State Foundation continued his attack on the net neutrality proposal. He noted that Holman Jenkins of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board calls the issue “net neutering.” May wrote: “For many years, I have thought that, in today’s digital age, imposing analog-age common carrier-type rules -- yes, that is truly what net neutrality mandates are -- would have the effect of neutering the net. In other words, such Internet regulation would slow down innovation and investment by removing incentives for Internet service providers to differentiate themselves lest they violate nondiscrimination (neutrality) mandates.”