PITTSBURGH, October 19, 2023 – The following statement regarding the FCC’s adoption of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on “Safeguarding and Securing the Open Internet” may be attributed to ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer:
“The FCC’s proposal to reinstate Title II regulation of broadband is not only misguided – it is a missed opportunity. We should be working together to improve broadband access and adoption for all Americans, not relitigating the regulatory battles of the past. We are confident the record will establish that century-old common carrier regulation is unnecessary to safeguard the open Internet and will only impede the delivery of more reliable, more capable, and less expensive broadband service by dampening, if not thwarting, investment, innovation, and competition. Title II regulation is particularly inapt for smaller broadband providers, who lack any semblance of upstream or downstream market power and who would face extraordinary burdens under a common carrier regime.”
About ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association – Based in Pittsburgh, ACA Connects is a trade organization representing more than 500 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, video, and phone services covering 23 million customers, 6 million of which are located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA Connects Members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their businesses.