With less than 10 weeks to go before the election, Republicans and Democrats released party
platforms outlining their visions for the future. Below is a comparison on
where the parties stand on broadband adoption, net neutrality rules, spectrum
auctions, and intellectual property protections.
1. Internet Freedom-
D- “The Obama administration has led the world to
recognize and defend Internet Freedom – the freedom of expression, assembly,
and association online for people everywhere – through coalitions of countries
and by empowering individuals with innovative technologies.”
R- “The Internet has unleashed innovation, enabled
growth, and inspired freedom more rapidly and extensively than any other
technological advance in human history. Its independence is its power. The
Internet offers a communications system uniquely free from government
intervention.”
PK– While both
platforms highlight “Internet freedom” as a priority and recognize its capacity
for innovation, they differ on how that freedom is defined and how it should be
maintained. Both parties have led and opposed efforts to expand and limit aspects
of the Internet. “Internet freedom” has meant a variety of different
things to different people, including freedom from government censorship and
surveillance; freedom of users from intermediary control; and freedom of
intermediaries from government regulation.
2. Open Internet-
D- “President Obama is
strongly committed to protecting an open Internet that fosters investment
innovation, creativity, consumer choice, and free speech, unfettered by
censorship or undue violations of privacy.”
R- “We will remove regulatory
barriers that protect that protect outdated technologies and business plans
from innovation and competition, while preventing legacy regulation from
interfering with new and disruptive technologies such as mobile delivery of
voice video data as they become crucial components of the Internet ecosystem.”
PK- “Legacy
regulation” is frequently used to refer to net neutrality rules enacted under
the current Administration, which Republicans would overturn.
3. Spectrum–
D- “We are finding
innovative ways to free up wireless spectrum and are building a state of the
art nationwide, interoperable, public safety network.”
R- “We call for an inventory of federal agency spectrum to
determine the surplus that could be auctioned for the taxpayer’s benefit.
…
“The current Administration has conducted no auction of
spectrum, has offered no incentives for investment, and through the FCC’s net
neutrality rule, is trying to micromanage telecom as if it were a railroad
network.”
PK- Although both platforms recognize the importance of
wireless spectrum, the Republican
platform supports the auction of public spectrum to communications companies as
a revenue generator. Republicans
have tended to argue that conditions on the use of the spectrum reduces
investment in infrastructure, while Democrats tend to argue that conditions are
necessary to protect consumers from anticompetitive behavior by spectrum
holders.
4. Broadband Adoption-
D- “We
will ensure that America has a 21st century digital infrastructure – robust
wired and wireless broadband capability, a smarter electrical grid, and
upgraded information technology infrastructure in key sectors such as health
care and education. President Obama has committed to ensuring 98 percent
of the country has access to high-speed wireless broadband Internet access.”
R- “We encourage public-private partnerships to provide predictable
support for connecting rural areas so that every American can fully participate
in the global economy.”
“With special recognition of the role university technology
centers are playing in attracting private investment to the field, we will
replace the administration’s Luddite approach to technological progress with a
regulatory partnership that will keep this country the world leader in
technology and telecommunications.”
PK- The FCC has
recently reported that broadband is not yet being deployed in a reasonable or timely
fashion. 19 million Americans lack access to fixed broadband, including
one-third of tribal lands. The public-private partnerships mentioned in the Republican
platform include programs like Comcast’s Connect
to Compete program. This program
allows families to apply for low-speed discounted broadband services after
showing that they meet certain criteria, such as their children being eligible
for subsidized school lunches.
5. Intellectual
Property-
D- “The administration is vigorously protecting U.S. intellectual
property – our technology and creativity – at home and abroad through better enforcement
and innovative approaches such as voluntary efforts by all parties to minimize
infringement while supporting the free flow of information. Customs seizures of
counterfeit drugs are up 600 percent and seizures of fake consumer safety and
critical technology have increased nearly 200 percent; the Department of
Justice has aggressively prosecuted the illegal overseas transfer of trade
secrets.”
R- “Thus, a
Republican
president will insist on
fully parity in trade with China and stand ready to impose countervailing
duties if China fails to amend its current policies. Counterfeit goods will be
aggressively kept out of the country. Victimized private firms will be
encouraged to raise claims in both U.S. courts and the World Trade
Organization. Punitive measures will be imposed on foreign firms that
misappropriate American technology and intellectual property.”
PK- The Obama Administration
has also seized domestic domain sites for indefinite periods of time under accusations
of hosting infringing content. Members of both parties were also supporters of
recent SOPA/PIPA legislation that was sold to Congress by the entertainment
industry as a means to protect American content creators and profits. In
emphasizing IP enforcement, neither party mentions the threat of overzealous
enforcement impinging on free speech or technological innovation.
6. Trans Pacific
Partnership and Free Trade Agreements
D- “[We] are on track to
finalizing track to finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, a
historic high-standard agreement that will address new and emerging trade
issues, lower barriers to the free flow of trade and investment, increase
exports, and create more American jobs.
…
“Last year the President signed free trade agreements with Panama and
Columbia -agreements that will significantly boost U.S. exports and support
thousands of jobs here at home – while protecting labor rights, the
environment, and intellectual property.”
R- “A Republican President will
complete negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership to open rapidly
developing Asian markets to U.S. products. Beyond that, we envision a worldwide
multilateral agreement among nations committed to the principles of open
markets, what has been called a “Reagan Economic Zone,” in which free
trade will truly be fair trade for all concerned.”
PK- The Trans Pacific Partnership,
currently being negotiated in secret, contains a chapter on intellectual
property. Leaked versions of the proposed language, and comparison with free
trade agreements passed over the past several years indicate that the copyright
provisions in the proposed treaty could require stricter interpretations of
copyright law than is currently in U.S. law.