FTC vs. FCC

Is it possible that a fight between the FTC and the FCC can open up the market for Internet infrastructure build-out, and finally make the U.S. competitive with countries whose governments understand the Net as more than an accessory to telephone and cable TV connections?

That's the question raised by the Federal Trade Commission, which will host "Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy" workshop on February 13 and 14 in the Commission's Conference Center in Washington, D.C. The announcement continues,

The FTC will bring together experts from business, government, and the technology sector, consumer advocates, and academics to explore competition and consumer protection issues relating to broadband Internet access, including so-called "network neutrality." The workshop will explore issues raised by recent legal and regulatory determinations that providers of certain broadband Internet services, such as cable modem and DSL, are not subject to the FCC's common carrier regulations. The workshop will examine, for example, the capabilities and incentives of broadband Internet service providers to discriminate against, degrade, block, or charge fees for prioritized delivery of unaffiliated content and applications. The workshop will also address the potential effects of network neutrality regulation on innovation and competition in the market for broadband access.

Trade is a good angle to take on an antitrust problem to which the FCC has been -- at the very least -- an accessory, for a long time.

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