Urges Senate To Pass House Bill Immediately And Send To White House After New President Takes Office
PITTSBURGH, January 10, 2017 – American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement regarding House passage Tuesday of the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act. The bill includes a small business exemption from the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet enhanced reporting requirements. The temporary exemption is to last five years and increases the exemption-eligibility threshold to 250,000 or fewer broadband subscribers from the 100,000 or fewer broadband subscribers provided by the FCC:
“Because the FCC’s temporary exemption for small ISPs unexpectedly expired last month, leaving small providers subject to compliance with the enhanced obligations on January 17, ACA appreciates the House’s action to adopt legislation that would not only reinstate the exemption but expand it to more broadly cover small ISPs. ACA was disappointed when the FCC failed to extend the exemption even though there was bipartisan agreement that the extension was appropriate and in the public interest.
“ACA, joining other three other trade associations, last week sent a letter to Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) urging passage of exemption legislation ‘to prevent irreversible economic harm to hundreds of small broadband providers.’ FCC leaders who will form the new majority on Jan. 20 have provided assurances that smaller providers did not have to fear ‘any adverse actions’ regarding alleged non-compliance pending the new FCC leaders’ own action to waive the compliance obligations for small ISPs. ACA believes that to provide the most certainty in the quickest way possible, the Senate should pass the House bill immediately and transmit it to the White House for signing right after the President-elect has taken office.”
About the American Cable Association: Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing nearly 750 smaller and medium-sized, independent cable companies who provide broadband services for nearly 7 million cable subscribers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA’s members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their business. For more information, visithttps://acaconnects.org/