Sprint Chief Technology Officer Stephen Bye doesn’t believe that a “light touch” application of Title II regulation would harm the continued investment in and deployment of mobile broadband services.
In a letter filed with the FCC, Bye wrote that any new net neutrality rules should include appropriate forbearance and allowed mobile operators to flexibly manage networks and differentiate services.
He pointed to the 1993 changes Congress made to the Telecommunications Act that allowed for more competition in the mobile industry. He said that “light touch regulatory regime emanated from Title II common carriage regulation.”
But Bye still said that competition is the best bet for ensuring consumers get the best services and lowest possible prices.
“[Sprint urges] the FCC and Congress not to be distracted by debates over Title II but to focus on competition by ensuring that any net neutrality regulations adopted recognize the unique network management challenges faced by mobile carriers,” Bye wrote.
Sprint’s approach toward influencing the FCC’s potential net neutrality decision differed from Verizon’s stance indicated by another recent filing.
In an ex parte filing from Thursday, Verizon called the FCC’s Title II plans for broadband services “unnecessary, illegal, and bad public policy.”
