Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association President and CEO Jose A. Marquez today issued the following statement regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to regulate broadband under Title II of the “Communications Act”: “
LISTA is disheartened by the FCC’s decision to imposing burdensome and outdated regulations on the net. While we share the Commission’s goals of preserving an Open Internet and protecting consumers and innovators online, reclassifying the Internet under Title II of the Communications Act is a bridge too far.
The Clinton-era policies that intentionally avoided utility-style regulation have made the Internet a platform for prosperity for Latino and other underserved communities who depend upon online platforms as a vehicle to the American dream. The FCC’s decision subjects the entire ecosystem to a suffocating level of regulation for the first time, potentially posing a substantial burden on broadband companies and likely instigating a protracted legal process that will be costly in both time and money. Every dollar spent on adhering to new regulations or litigators in court is a dollar not spent on investment to improve speeds and services, especially to underprivileged communities like Latinos.
LISTA urges Congressional leaders to act quickly and advance a bipartisan legislative solution that bolsters the Open Internet and protects consumers without the risks to investment that accompany Title II regulation.” Through Congressional legislative action we can bring fair, new legislation which will include consumer protection while encouraging innovation and investment.
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