FCC Will Apply Barriers To Entry Reporting Requirements In Broadband Reclassification

With broadband reclassification now on it's June agenda, apparently the Federal Communications Commission will propose that regulation of broadband include collecting data for a report to Congress on "market entry barriers for entrepreneurs and other small businesses in the provision and ownership of telecommunications services and information services."

The section was being billed as a "civil rights" provision by minority media seeking its inclusion in the "third way," including the Minority Media & Telecommunications Council. "We are glad they are not forbearing," said David Honig, MMTC president. "But the decision on what is to be forborn or not forborn is a moving target. Even a well-intentioned administration made this mistake. What would a less well-intentioned agency do. What this teaches us is that Congress needs to step in and pass a law that spells out what the ground rules are going to be, not just on forbearance but on broadband regulation in general."