IP Communications Featured Articles

The ballots have been tallied, winners crowned and victory speeches made; another election cycle has come to an end. In recent months the general public has been bombarded with talking points, endless mailers and phone calls from campaigns attempting to ensure your support on Election Day. We heard incumbents and challengers alike discuss legalizing marijuana, gun control, ‘Obamacare’ and taxes, but no mention of net neutrality—only one of the biggest tech issues of the year.

In tech circles, net neutrality is a readily addressed topic of conversation but to the general voting public there isn’t a large enough interest to make it a central campaign issue. A recent Washington Post Blog lists a few reasons as to why this may be. 

Of note, heavy Internet users do not command the attention as a major voting block for a couple reasons. First, most Internet usage is done so by the younger, politically apathetic segment of the population. Secondly, the United States voting system does not set up well for those who do choose to take action. Organizing concerned citizens on the issue is done so via the Internet. These concerned citizens aren’t neighbors; the likelihood is they are dispersed across the country—that does not a powerful political voice make.

An interesting dimension of “IP” policy is although there was little to no mention of the issue in the vast majority of campaigns—the shift in the political landscape will likely cause some disruption.

ANPI’s CMO, David Byrd (News - Alert) discussed what the midterm elections mean to telecommunications in a recent blog post that raises some intriguing points. As a c-level executive in the IP communications field, Byrd offers unique input on what short of tremors will pulsate through this industry that makes up 8 percent of the United States economy. Nearly every American uses some form of IP communications in their lives.

 Byrd, sums up the ‘state of the union’ as such, “Telecommunications and the supporting infrastructure are undergoing substantial review at the FCC (News - Alert), and new regulations defining access rates, services and competition are pending. A change in Congress will influence the direction of the regulations and any accompanying laws.”

Keep your eyes peeled. The shift in representative power could see a rewrite in the Telecommunications Act—which hasn’t been revisited since its previous rewrite in 1996. Republicans, likely, will not stop there. There is a good chance the GOP takes aim at rewriting the Communications Act, and as a result reshape the way the FCC functions moving forward.

There are too many balls in the air to say where they will land at this point. One thing is clear, only time will tell the tale on this one. More will be reveled as the dust settles from Election Day. Funny how something that took a back seat on the national political stage can be at the heart of so many Americans’ day-to-day activity.