Shaping the Future of the Industry - Part 2

Shaping the Future of the Industry - Part 2

How Policy, Politics and Power Are Shaping the Future of the ICT Industry

by Grant Seiffert
President, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)

However, at the same time that our industry is seeing compelling growth and remarkable innovation, we are facing increased challenges.  Because of the importance of the ICT industry to our society, these issues can also become politically charged, complicating and even endangering good policy decisions.

There are a number of domestic challenges facing the ICT industry, including the fact that we lag behind 16 other countries in broadband penetration as of 2011. In addition, with the passage of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving towards freeing up crucial frequencies for increased commercial mobile broadband use, while the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is working to establish a new nationwide public safety broadband network. We are also currently seeing rulemakings across numerous Federal agencies in previously unregulated areas, including Internet traffic management, cybersecurity, and supply chain integrity.

In all of these areas, TIA is closely engaged on both Capitol Hill and in the agencies to ensure that new regulations adopted do not hamper ICT industry innovation and job creation. Policymakers on all levels must understand that heavy-handed regulations, and straying from a technology- and competitively-neutral regulatory model, will have a damaging economic impact and hurt America’s technology leadership.