November 20, 2009: Hannah Miller of the Media and Democracy Coalition (MDC) testified today before New York City Council's Technology in Government Committee today in favor of open access policies, voicing support for the six principles put forward by the FCC and discussing the findings of Harvard's Berkman Center on how best to universalize next generation broadband for America. 

The full hearing is available online; MDC shares a panel with Common Cause NY and Future of Music Coalition at 56:12.

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Hannah Miller
Media and Democracy Coalition
Testimony – New York City Council
November 20, 2009

My name is Hannah Miller, with the Media and Democracy Coalition. We are a coalition of over 30 non-profit organizations – including many here today – that work to advance public interest media policies.

We applaud the New York City Council Technology in Government Committee for taking leadership on such a crucial issue as net neutrality. New York is dominant in industries that need stringent non-discrimination regulation – TV, film, finance, international trade, Web, non-profit and so on – and a strong statement in support of net neutrality can serve as a beacon to other cities.

If strong net neutrality regulations are not adopted and enforced, consumers will experience declines in the quality of their broadband experience – and that includes residential, small business, and large institutional users.  

Without net neutrality, fixed and mobile Internet users are going to be able to access fewer sites, use fewer applications, view fewer less video, music, or multimedia files, while probably seeing their rates continue to rise. If incumbents are permitted to destroy the non-discriminatory nature of the Internet by favoring some content over others, they will essentially be picking winners and losers in today’s on-line society.
The vision of the ISPs of a two-tiered fast-lane/slow-lane system of information access brings to mind the phrase made famous by Brown vs. Board of Education: separate but unequal.

The Media and Democracy Coalition supports the six principles put forth by FCC Chair Julius Genachowski, and argues for the strongest possible rule that will preserve the innovative, open nature of the Internet.. We urge the NY City Council to send that same message to policy makers in D.C.

NY City Council may also want to demonstrate support for other policies that would spur more competition in the broadband marketplace.

This summer, the FCC commissioned Harvard’s Berkman Center for the Internet and Society to examine which regulatory frameworks would result in the best possible outcome for next-generation broadband. The researchers studied the broadband markets and policies of 14 countries and came to the conclusion that open access principles of these network – which allow multiple ISPs to compete over the same broadband infrastructure- contributed to the growth of powerful, affordable, ubiquitous broadband.

Open access policies promote competition, innovation, and consumer choice, by mandating that carriers share their network with other entities that want to provide services.  That’s not unlike the system that brought competition in local and long distance telephone service years ago. The nations studied in the FCC-commissioned report largely started with regulatory frameworks as light as our own, but over the last ten years, they have required carriers to open their networks to competitors, not only to develop their own infrastructure, but their IT industries as well. 

I encourage you all to read the report, and become a part of the fight for open access provisions. These 14 nations had a choice: between the interests of a handful of telco companies, or the economic wellbeing of  society as a whole. And in all 14, it turned out to be no contest.

I hope we choose as wisely. Thank you.