Sidak Addresses FTC Conference on Net Neutrality

February 13, 2007

Criterion Founder J. Gregory Sidak addressed the Federal Trade Commission's "Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy" conference on February 13. Sidak's remarks came as part of a session entitled "What is the debate over "network neutrality" about?"

The FTC brought together experts from business, government, and the technology sector, consumer advocates, and academics to explore competition and consumer protection issues relating to broadband Internet access, including so-called "network neutrality." The workshop explored issues raised by recent legal and regulatory determinations that providers of certain broadband Internet services, such as cable modem and DSL, are not subject to the FCC's common carrier regulations. The workshop examined, for example, the capabilities and incentives of broadband Internet service providers to discriminate against, degrade, block, or charge fees for prioritized delivery of unaffiliated content and applications. The workshop also addressed the potential effects of network neutrality regulation on innovation and competition in the market for broadband access.

Other panelists included William Lehr (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Jon M. Peha (Carnegie Mellon University), Christopher Libertelli (Skype Limited), Robert Pepper (Cisco Systems), Joseph Farrell (University of California, Berkeley), Alfred E. Kahn (Cornell University), Simon Wilkie (University of Southern California Law School), Walter B. McCormick, Jr. (United States Telecom Association), John Ryan (Level 3 Communications), Christopher Putala (EarthLink), John Thorne (Verizon Communications), Daniel Brenner (National Cable & Telecommunications Association), Timothy J. Muris (George Mason University School of Law), Philip J. Weiser (University of Colorado at Boulder), Ronald B. Yokubaitis (Data Foundry), Tod Cohen (eBay), Paul Misener (Amazon.com), Joseph W. Waz, Jr. (Comcast), Timothy Wu (Columbia University Law School), and Christopher S. Yoo (Vanderbilt University Law School). For more information about the conference, click here.