IIA Gives FCC 10 Reasons to Focus on Digital Divide Instead of Net Neutrality

Calling net neutrality “a distraction,” the Internet Innovation Alliance today listed ten reasons why the Federal Communications Commission should focus on closing the digital divide instead of creating new regulations.

With their list, “10 Reasons Why New Internet Regulations Impede Common Goals of Connecting All Americans and Closing Digital Divide,” IIA outlines what they see as the real issues that should be addressed when discussing broadband adoption. According to their list,

• The net neutrality debate, which only concerns those already online, is a distraction from creating an effective National Broadband Plan. The people who have the most to lose from this balancing act are the socially and economically disenfranchised – members of rural, low-income, urban, tribal, minority, non-English speaking, unserved and underserved populations.
• Experts on the digital divide have not cited “lack of net neutrality regulations” as either a cause or a cure for race or income-based differences in broadband adoption. The current net neutrality war that has erupted in Washington, DC has very little to do with the interests of the unserved and underserved.
• Today’s open Internet is making possible huge innovation. We reduce the possibilities and raise barriers if we don’t give everyone access to smart networks.

As the deadline approaches for the FCC to issue the national broadband plan in March 2010, organizations are amping up their outreach to the FCC and to the public about what elements the plan should contain. Visit IIA’s website to read the rest of the list.