To the Editor:

Your recent story on the FCC's cable modem ruling [?Celebration on FCC's ISP Ruling May Have Been a Bit Premature,? March 25] mischaracterizes the cable industry's position and response to the FCC's rulings.

If, as Cable World suggests, there was ?a week of celebration? following the FCC's March 14 ruling, NCTA missed the party. For starters, we had urged the FCC to classify cable modem service as ?a cable service,? and only failing that, as an ?information service.? Although an ?information services? classification was not the cable industry's first preference, we felt good about the fact that the FCC had established a national policy framework for cable modem service and rejected a ?telecommunications services? classification, which could have led to common carrier-type regulation of cable modem service.

As Robert Sachs, NCTA president and CEO, said on the day of the decision, ?The classification of cable modem service as an ?information service? and not a telecommunications service sends a strong signal that cable Internet services will be able to continue to develop in a business environment that favors competition over regulation and encourages new investment.? In a follow-up interview with your reporter, Sachs stressed that the cable industry ?takes nothing for granted? in the rulings because the FCC has put forth a number of questions, including questions about carriage of multiple ISPs, for later resolution.

The fact that some in the media characterized the FCC's decision as ?a clear victory? for cable, should not be confused with the cable industry's positive but measured response to the Commission's ?information services? classification and tentative conclusions.
Rob Stoddard
Senior Vice President
Communications and Public Affairs
National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA)

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