An article in the February 2010 issue of Scientific American points out that, in one decade, the U.S. has slipped from having an international lead in internet connectivity to homes to being below average. The article places the blame largely on FCC Commissioner Michael Powell who in 2002 presided over a ruling which classified broadband internet services providers as “information services” rather than “telecommunications services.” The result was that ISPs were not required to allow competitors to lease bandwidth on their lines. The article says “At the time, Powell justified the decision by saying it was the best way to fast-track greater broadband deployment.” In fact, the reverse has proven to be true. In other countries which allow open access to phone lines and cable systems users pay 20% less for speeds which are on average 8 times as fast as the average in the U.S. The current FCC is revisiting this strategy and might change the ruling.
The current FCC is also looking into the question of “net neutrality.” Strong evidence indicates that the openness of the internet has been responsible for its explosive innovation and growth. A change to the current policy of net neutrality would threaten to undermine this powerful medium and allow certain large corporations to throttle access.