CTIA: Net neutrality should not apply to wireless networks built with stimulus money

CTIA is urging the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the FCC not to place net neutrality regulations on wireless networks being built with loans from the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus fund. When Congress passed the $787 billion economic stimulus in February, it mandated the NTIA and the FCC put in place certain net neutrality regulations. CTIA is arguing that those regulations should not apply to wireless networks.

A number of comments were filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Monday. CTIA said net neutrality rules "should be applied to broadband stimulus grantees within the context of its existing parameters, and not more broadly. Wireless networks are inherently different than the networks for which the (net neutrality) policy statement was developed. The underlying network infrastructure, including spectrum, as well as the integration of the customer equipment, make wireless significantly different than other broadband networks."

For more:
- see this ComputerWorld [1]
- see the CTIA's comments [2]

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