Crowded Room Expected for Closed Hill Meeting on Telecom Act Update
The FCC and other federal agencies will be among the few missing at Friday’s planned closed Hill meeting to discuss an update of the Telecom Act, a Senate aide told us Thursday. Representatives from ISPs, edge companies and public interest groups are among the 32 that so far have confirmed attendance, the aide said. The groups plan to meet behind closed doors at 11 a.m. in Room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
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Democratic and Republican staffs contributed to the participant list, the Senate aide said. The lineup includes AT&T, Verizon, NCTA, Google, Amazon, Free Press, Public Knowledge, Consumers Union, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, the Free State Foundation, and the Information Technology and Information Foundation, the aide said. Representing states are the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, the aide said. The FCC, FTC and Justice Department won’t be represented, nor will any other federal government body, the aide said. House and Senate Commerce Committee and Communications Subcommittee staff from both parties will lead the meeting.
Participants should “limit attendance to one representative of your choosing,” the House Commerce Committee wrote in an invitation that was sent to participants. A second Hill session is planned for July 2, it said.
It’s a “giant session,” the Senate aide said. Given the number of names and the fact that many of their positions are already well established, “the structure does not lend itself to productivity,” the aide said. Congressional staff were to meet at 3 p.m. Thursday to work out details on the meeting’s format, the aide said. House and Senate Commerce Committees didn’t comment.
ITIF expects the event will be a forum to throw out ideas, and the start of a longer process, said an ITIF spokesman. ITIF President Robert Atkinson plans to attend, he said. “I am not sure what to expect,” said Free State Foundation President Randolph May, confirming he will be there as well. “My hope is that, at this first meeting, there will be a consensus that it is far preferable for Congress to delegate the FCC authority over broadband ISPs than it is for the FCC to proceed with its ISP reclassification proposal without such authority. Then, I hope there is a frank exchange of views concerning what such legislation should look like."
NTCA is attending on behalf of rural carriers, said a spokeswoman. “We look forward to furthering the dialog about the critical role continued investment in broadband will play in helping make Congress’ goal of universal broadband availability a reality for all Americans -- including those living in rural and remote parts of the country."
The meeting is the first of three planned by the committees. A second meeting is expected to discuss spectrum issues, and a third will cover broadband deployment and adoption issues. While the doors will be closed to press and public, the committees have stated they plan to release participant lists and submitted statements.