Open Internet Coalition to FCC: Don't wait for Congress

Pushing back against a raft of lawmakers whom have urged the Federal Communications Commission to let Congress act first on Internet regulation, the Open Internet Coalition implored the commission not to wait for the legislative body to move forward with reclassification of broadband.

In comments filed with FCC on Thursday, the coalition said it would "be irresponsible" for FCC to wait for Congress to take legislative action. "Congress has given the commission the authority to modify its regulatory treatment of broadband Internet access to protect consumers," the letter states. The FCC should "embrace its mandate and expeditiously adopt the outcome proposed by the 'third way' proposal."

The third way, introduced by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in May, would reclassify some aspects of broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act. The chairman has said he would only apply a limited number of provisions of Title II, and exempt broadband from more onerous provisions such as price controls.

Genachowski offered his third-way proposal to reclassify broadband after FCC's authority over broadband providers was put into doubt as a result of an April federal appeals court ruling.

At least 82 Democratic lawmakers have expressed opposition to the plan and some Republican members of Congress have characterized the third way as a "government takeover of the Internet."

The coalition, whose members include Google and Skype, among many other technology companies, is a staunch advocate of net neutrality in the on-going debate about the future of Internet regulation.