Guarding The Beachfront

GUARDING THE BEACHFRONT
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
If a handful of public-interest advocates had their way, the Federal Communications Commission would ban cable operators and phone companies from the upcoming 700-MHz spectrum auction that some consider the most important the agency will ever conduct. Consumers Union, Public Knowledge and the Media Access Project (MAP) are leading the assault, claiming a ban would spur competition in providing high-speed Internet access to consumers. Otherwise, big cable-system operators such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable and phone giants such as AT&T and Verizon Communications would keep out smaller rivals, dominating the business and stifling innovation. “We think it makes excellent sense just to keep the incumbents out of this auction,” said MAP senior vice president Harold Feld. “If we really want a genuine third pipe -- that is to say, one that competes against telephone [digital subscriber line] and the cable broadband platform -- keep those guys out.” While not unprecedented, sweeping auction restrictions on cable would be a setback as cable operators continue to search for ways to add a robust wireless component to their voice, video and data services. That “triple play” has been such a huge success that it probably led Rupert Murdoch to give up News Corp.’s controlling stake in DirecTV, the leading satellite TV provider.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6452620.html

-- See also --

* Sides press for advantage in airwaves auction
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/06/18/sides_pres...

* Spectrum auction has plenty on the line
http://www.thestar.com/article/226423