Internet Innovation Alliance
The Internet Innovation Alliance runs a slick website dedicated to promoting broadband Internet policies that "will improve Americans' lives."[53] While the Alliance claims to include "consumer advocates"[54] in its coalition, no true consumer groups can be found anywhere in its membership list. But AT&T, one of the largest telephone companies in the country, is on the list.[55]
As recently as late 2004, the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA) did seem to be on consumers' side on the issue of network neutrality - the principle that your Internet service provider shouldn't be able to block or interfere with your ability to access any content or use any services on the web. Take a look at IIA's scathing statement after SBC Communications revealed plans to charge fees to web-based telephone providers (also called Voice-over-Internet-Protocol, or VoIP): "SBC's charging of higher fees to VoIP providers …is discriminatory in nature and is a dangerous first step toward eradicating the vast array of benefits services like VoIP will provide to consumers. VoIP promises great consumer benefits provided it remains unburdened by regulations and access fees…. SBC apparently missed the memo or chose to ignore it in the face of larger profits."[56]
So where was the outrage a year later when SBC head Ed Whitacre told BusinessWeek magazine that broadband Internet providers should be allowed to charge fees not only to VoIP companies, but to any web-based company or service? "Now what they would like to do is use my pipes free, but I ain't going to let them do that because we have spent this capital and we have to have a return on it. …We [the telephone companies] and the cable companies have made an investment and for a Google or Yahoo! or Vonage or anybody to expect to use these pipes [for] free is nuts!," argued Whitacre.[57]
This time, the Internet Innovation Alliance was nowhere to be found.[58] Why? Maybe because SBC Communications was in the final stages of a merger with AT&T-one of IIA's "member" groups. IIA does not disclose how much its "members" contribute to the organization, but in the case of AT&T, it appears to be enough to have bought IIA's silence.
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Footnotes:
[53] Internet Innovation Alliance, "Mission Statement," at http://www.internetinnovation.org/about/#mission (last visited 15 Mar 2006). Back to report.
[54] Internet Innovation Alliance, "FAQ," at http://www.internetinnovation.org/about/#faq (last visited 15 Mar 2006). Back to report.
[55] Internet Innovation Alliance, "Members," http://www.internetinnovation.org/about/#members (last visited 15 Mar 2006). Back to report.
[56] Internet Innovation Alliance, "SBC's TipTOP Service Highlights Need for FCC Intervention," 30 Nov. 2004, at http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=LATPOL.story&STORY=/www/story/ 11-30-2004/0002555213&EDATE=TUE+Nov+30+2004, +03:22+PM (last visited 15 Mar 2006). Back to report.
[57] Patricia O'Connell, "At SBC, It's All About 'Scale and Scope'," BusinessWeek, 7 Nov 2005. Back to report.
[58] Based on a Lexis-Nexis search for 'Internet Innovation Alliance' and ('net neutrality' or 'network neutrality' or 'Whitacre') between 6 Nov 2005 and 1 Dec 2005. Back to report.