Just got this email reporting the speech made by former FCC Chairman @ F2C organized by David Isenberg
Former FCC chairman Michael Powell is up on the stage at the Freedom to Connect conference right now, and he warns the tech elite crowd here not to be naive about the dangers of asking Congress for legislation on Net Neutrality. As he explains:
The legislative process does not work well when it has a weak understanding of innovation and tech policy. You are talking about 535 members who need to to get this. They have a very shallow understanding [of Net Neutrality]. If you go give them a quiz about the seven layers of the Internet, good luck.
You live by the sword, you die by the sword. It is much harder get a law off the books than to get it on. Someone will think it is a good idea to apply the same rules to the other side’s products and services. Be careful because you are playing their game [the telcos’]. We are talking about resources, ability, and 100 years of skill.
I am pro-legislation on Net Neutrality. I believe there is a cause for government intervention when there is a market failure and there is clearly a dilemma in US right now (although I wont call it a market failure yet as Verizon has not taken any action so far).
Reading this report almost made me a convert…almost.
The lack of understanding of technology in the Congress is indeed a problem. While law making in US are pretty similar to this part of the world, a handful of people will prepare the document and eventually present it to the Cabinet/Congress for discussion, modification and finally approval, the process is more political in US.
At least Asians have one trait which is helpful: They donâ€
