Technology & E-Commerce

Accomplishments for 2007

• Filed comments on net neutrality with the Federal Trade Commission, which then issued a staff report on Broadband Connectivity Policy that generally agreed with the Chamber's comments.

• Successfully thwarted an effort by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) to add two amendments related to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s authority to regulate indecent and "excessively violent video" programming.
• Successfully defeated an attempt by the FCC to trigger a provision in the 1984 Cable Act that would grant the agency additional authority over the cable industry. 

Ongoing Activities:

• Filed comments with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) urging it to modify its proposed rules by (1) placing a greater priority on applications seeking to provide service to unserved communities, rather than those seeking government subsidies to offer service in communities where there is already a privately funded broadband provider, and (2) increasing the transparency of the loan process.
• Filed comments with the FCC supporting its current policy on broadband Internet access and urged the agency not to change or amend it.