To download a PDF of the letter, click here [0]
Chairman Julius Genachowski
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
cc: Commissioners Meredith Attwell Baker, Michael Copps, Mignon Clyburn,
Robert McDowell
August 12, 2009
Dear Chairman Genachowski,
The Media and Democracy Coalition (MDC) is writing to express our
disappointment in the lack of public interest representation on the national
broadband plan staff workshop panels taking place on August 12 & 13. MDC
is a collaboration of more than 30 public interest groups across the nation,
working to amplify the voice of the public in debates over media and
communications policies.
When Blair Levin presented on the process for creating a national broadband
plan before the FCC on July 2 he outlined a “mandate for the process” to be
“open, transparent, inclusive, participatory, and data driven.” According to
www.broadband.gov [1] <http://www.broadband.gov> “the goal of the workshops
will be to promote an open dialogue between the FCC and key constituents on
matters important to the National Broadband Plan. Key constituents will
include service providers, equipment providers, applications providers,
community groups, and other groups that have a stake in the future of
broadband.” Based on these statements it was our understanding that the FCC
was committed to an inclusive and participatory process to get at the facts
surrounding the current state of broadband in the U.S., to hear from key
constituents in order to put together a comprehensive plan that ensures
open, universal, high speed Internet for everyone in the nation.
The recent announcement of the panelists taking part in the workshops seems
to contradict the FCC’s commitment to an inclusive and participatory
process. Discussing issues such as fixed and wireless broadband and
deployment, unserved and underserved, as well as rural broadband issues
without public interest or consumer rights representation amounts to talking
about issues without hearing from those directly affected by them. Industry
groups alone can’t speak to all of the facts regarding the subjects the FCC
plans to cover in the workshops this week.
We urge the FCC to explain how five of the workshops taking place this week
could exclude public interest groups and consumer rights advocates.
Furthermore we urge the Commission to reconsider the line up of panelists
for upcoming workshops and expand the list to include actual representation
from “key constituents.” For those topics already covered at workshops
held today and this week, particularly the un and underserved topic, we urge
the Commission to schedule additional workshop featuring public interest
voices. If the FCC is truly committed to an inclusive process that engages
a diverse set of views from both the public and private sector then the
workshops need to reflect that commitment. We are happy to help make
connections and recommendations for organizations that represent the public
interest and consumer rights.
We respectfully request that the commission respond to our concerns before
additional workshop schedules are released. We look forward to working with
you to expand the diversity and representation on these important workshops.
Sincerely,
Beth McConnell
Executive Director, Media & Democracy Coalition
bmcconnell@media-democracy.net [2]
Office: 202-736-5757