August 2018

CTIA and T-Mobile are repeating their calls for larger licensed areas and 10-year spectrum license terms. T-Mobile and CTIA representatives met with Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O’Rielly Legal Advisor Erin McGrath to discuss the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Services (CBRS) proceeding. In 2017, both filed petitions with the FCC requesting that it revisit the 3.5 GHz rules that were originally passed in 2015. Their meetings with O’Rielly’s team are notable given that he’s been leading the charge to revise the rules and has made recommendations to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

Broadband providers have spent years lobbying against utility-style regulations that protect consumers from high prices and bad service. But now, broadband lobby groups are arguing that Internet service is similar to utilities such as electricity, gas distribution, roads, and water and sewer networks. In the providers' view, the essential nature of broadband doesn't require more regulation to protect consumers. Instead, they argue that broadband's utility-like status is the reason for the government to give Internet service providers more money.

To understand how digital technologies went from instruments for spreading democracy to weapons for attacking it, you have to look beyond the technologies themselves.

[Zeynep Tufekci is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina and a contributing opinion writer at theNew York Times]