RELEASE
Wicker Praises FCC Action to Restore Open Internet
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, delivered a speech in support of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) action to restore the Internet to a light-touch regulatory framework.
Key excerpts of Wicker’s speech include:
“I am glad the FCC is working to restore the light-touch regulatory framework that has allowed the Internet to thrive since its creation. This action sets the stage for Congress to then put a legislative solution in place that strikes the right balance between providing regulatory oversight on the one hand and giving the broadband industry the flexibility it needs to innovate and expand on the other hand. We should not rely on a classification that was devised during the Depression era. There should be 21st-century rules for 21st-century technology.”
“Keeping the Internet free and open is a goal shared by many of us, and a bipartisan solution can help provide long-term certainty for both consumers and broadband providers. This will be essential to our efforts to close the digital divide and remove barriers to Internet connectivity that exist in Mississippi and around the United States.”
“If we do not give providers the confidence to invest in better services and infrastructure, it could limit consumers’ options and services. It could also affect our efforts to close the digital divide. Underserved communities could remain underserved. Without broadband access, these communities could lose out on critical jobs, economic development, and many other opportunities borne out of the thriving Internet economy.”
5/18/17
Magnolia Tribune
