“FCC NEEDS TO DEMONSTRATE MARKET FAILURE AND HARM TO CONSUMERS”

Washington, Oct 22, 2009 - “The proposed rules the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on today would apply to broadband providers but not online providers of applications, content and services,” said Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Trade & the Internet Subcommittee. “This selective targeting is troublesome.” The FCC today voted to open a rulemaking process and begin receiving comments on a proposal to create new net neutrality rules.

Added Stearns, “Furthermore, the FCC is not conducting any market analysis to demonstrate why such rules are necessary. Why now? Where is the market failure? Without such analysis, the FCC runs the risk of freezing private investment and chilling innovation. Attempting to regulate problems that may not even exist will only create uncertainty.”