Washington, D.C — TechNet,
the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior
executives, has called on the FCC to promote private broadband investment in
its proposed regulatory framework for Business Data Services (FCC 16-54). Business Data Services are used by businesses
and institutions to transmit high-capacity data and voice traffic – for
example, connecting banks to ATMs and credit card readers.

In a letter submitted to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, TechNet
president and CEO Linda Moore wrote: “With the rapid evolution of technologies, rising consumer and
commercial demand for data, and the dawn of the ‘Internet of Things,’ fast and
reliable broadband is no longer a luxury for businesses – it is a necessity. That is why TechNet is a strong advocate for
telecommunications policy and regulation that promotes continued private
investment in broadband networks.”

“A wide range of
entities relies on [Business Data Services] to access the Internet and to
enable reliable and secure communications among locations. As demand for [Business Data Services] has
soared in recent years, so too has investment in these services, as incumbent
providers work to upgrade their networks and competitive new entrants expand
their facilities into new areas.”

“The FCC should adopt
policies that eliminate barriers and promote this continued fiber deployment
with its associated economic and societal benefits.”

Full text of the letter can be found here
and below.

The Honorable Tom Wheeler
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20554

Re: Business Data Services in an Internet Protocol
Environment, WC Docket No. 16-143; Investigation of Certain Price Cap Local
Exchange Carrier Business Data Services Tariff Pricing Plans, WC Docket No.
15-247; Special Access Rates for Price Cap Local Exchange Carriers, WC Docket
No. 05-25; AT&T Corporation Petition for Rulemaking to Reform Regulation of
Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier Rates for Interstate Special Access Services,
RM-10593

Dear Chairman Wheeler:

On behalf
of TechNet, the nation’s
preeminent, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives,
I am writing to comment on the Federal Communication Commission’s
proposal (FCC 16-54) regarding new regulatory obligations on providers of
Business Data Services (BDS).

With the rapid evolution of
technologies, rising consumer and commercial demand for data, and the dawn of
the “Internet of Things,” fast and reliable broadband is no longer a luxury for
businesses – it is a necessity. That is
why TechNet is a strong advocate for telecommunications policy and regulation
that promotes continued private investment in broadband networks.

There is a tremendous need for
continued investment in broadband to reach commercial locations, including
office buildings, anchor institutions, and wireless cell sites, to meet the
ever-increasing demand for data in every commercial setting, including
businesses, hospitals, libraries, or educational institutions. A wide range of entities relies on BDS to
access the Internet and to enable reliable and secure communications among locations. As demand for BDS has soared in recent years,
so too has investment in these services, as incumbent providers work to upgrade
their networks and competitive new entrants expand their facilities into new
areas.

The FCC should adopt policies that
eliminate barriers and promote this continued fiber deployment with its
associated economic and societal benefits.
We urge the Commission to be thoughtful in addressing this increasingly
competitive marketplace, and ensure that a framework is maintained for
continued broadband deployment and the resulting job creation and economic
growth.

We urge the Commission to consider
these issues carefully as it determines whether and how to regulate the BDS
marketplace.

Sincerely,

Linda Moore
President & CEO

About TechNet
TechNet is the national,
bipartisan network of technology CEOs and senior executives that promotes the
growth of the innovation economy by advocating a targeted policy agenda at the
federal and 50-state level. TechNet’s
diverse membership includes dynamic startups to the most iconic companies on
the planet and represents more than two million employees in the fields of
information technology, e-commerce, advanced energy, biotechnology, venture
capital, and finance. TechNet has
offices in Washington, D.C., Silicon Valley, Sacramento, Seattle, Boston, and
Austin.