broadband

Comcast Takeover of Time Warner Cable is a Bum Note for Musicians

On February 12, 2014, news broke that Comcast, already America’s biggest Internet service provider and video distributor, would attempt to buy Time Warner Cable for 45.2 billion dollars. The deal would impact everything from internet access and pricing to how media is delivered.

The following statement is from FMC Interim Executive Director Casey Rae: read more

FMC Statement on Proposed Comcast/TWC Merger

February 13, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC— On February 12, 2014, news broke that Comcast, already America’s biggest Internet service provider and video distributor, would attempt to buy Time Warner Cable.

The following statement is from FMC Interim Executive Director Casey Rae: read more

Letter to FCC Chairman Genachowski on Verizon standalone DSL discontinuance

Future of Music Coalition joined a broad array of consumer, creator and public interest groups to express concerns about Verizon’s plans to discontinue standalone retail broadband service. We argued that the practice of tying broadband service to other services prevents consumer choice, limits consumers from porting telephone numbers, and essentially forces consumers to purchase local services they do not want – either because they have a wireless option or because they prefer to use VoIP or other alternatives. The net effect is to act as a drag on the adoption of broadband and new IP technologies as well as alternative, competitive voice options by making other standalone services economically unattractive.

The Internet Bounces Back

It was a cuh-rayzee week for the internet, but things are looking up.

You may recall a couple of our earlier posts where we explained how an April 2010 court decision threw the FCC’s ability to protect the open internet into serious doubt. We’re not gonna get into the whole legal to-do, but suffice it to say, there were some questions about how the Commission might move forward. read more

The World at Your Fingertips: Bringing Broadband Home

Broadband. If you've been reading this blog, you know that we think it's pretty important. These days, you need access to the internet for pretty much everything from looking for a job to booking a plane ticket. Yet too many Americans lack a connection to this essential service.

High-speed internet is crucial to the music community, too — particularly artists who depend on the web to do everything from planning tours to selling music and merch to connecting with audiences directly. And fans use it to keep up on and spread the word about their favorite acts in real-time. For all these reasons and more, it's clear that the future of music is online. read more

FCC Nominees at the Senate

While most the country has been occupied with the Sotomayor confirmation, we at FMC have also been keeping our eyes on another nomination process -- namely, who will fill a pair of important Federal Communications Commission posts.

When President Obama entered office, three out of the five FCC Commissioner spots, including the FCC Chairmanship, were vacant. Last month, the Senate confirmed Julius Genochowski to head up the agency; you can read about it here). On July 15, 2009, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing questioning Obama's nominees for the two remaining Commissioner seats. read more

FMC Statement on the FCC's White Spaces Vote

November 4, 2008

In the wake of a recent FCC finding on White Spaces, FMC released this statement that underscored our commitment to working with both White Space advocates and the arts community toward common ground on these principles. We firmly believe the FCC has the capability to manage an orderly process that can lead to thoughtful implementation of these devices in ways that benefit the arts community. read more

FMC Statement on Federal Trade Commission Report on Net Neutrality

June 29, 2007

The Federal Trade Commission rightly concluded in its report Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy that the broadband Internet market needs greater competition. About 96 percent of the broadband market is currently controlled by just two entities: the cable or phone company. In many markets, customers only have one type of ISP to choose from.

Washington, D.C.— The Federal Trade Commission rightly concluded in its report Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy [PDF] that the broadband Internet market needs greater competition. read more

Comcast Takeover of Time Warner Cable is a Bum Note for Musicians

FMC Statement on Proposed Comcast/TWC Merger

Letter to FCC Chairman Genachowski on Verizon standalone DSL discontinuance

The Internet Bounces Back

FMC Statement on the National Broadband Plan

The World at Your Fingertips: Bringing Broadband Home

FCC Nominees at the Senate

FMC Statement on the FCC's White Spaces Vote

FMC Statement on Federal Trade Commission Report on Net Neutrality

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