'Competify' Campaign Seeks FCC Action on Broadband

"Competify," a campaign by a coalition of competitive telecommunications, information processing and public advocacy groups and companies seeking to sway the Federal Communications Commission and other policy makers on key broadband issues, debuted on July 13. The initial group includes the Ad Hoc Telecommunications Users Committee, Broadband Coalition, BT (the company formerly known as British Telecom), Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), COMPTEL, Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Engine, Level 3, Public Knowledge, Sprint and XO. While cable TV and the huge telephone companies are not mentioned by name on the new website or in an ad in The New York Times unveiling the campaign, it is clear that these major system providers are the target of the new group's wrath.

The announcement characterized the current market condition as "a chronic disease" affecting the entire information economy. It urged the FCC to move forward aggressively "on its critical work to address the scourge of high broadband prices and anticompetitive behavior by advancing meaningful broadband competition." "The broadband economy pays at least $10 billion dollars each year in overcharges to a few huge companies that control access to America’s critical broadband infrastructure," according to the coalition's announcement. "These profits of over 100 percent come at the expense of the rest of the economy: driving up prices, stifling innovation, and dragging down speeds and deployment of both wireless and wireline broadband." Although its initial focus is on FCC actions, Competify is also expected to take its message to Capitol Hill and to other policy makers.