Currently WAISP’s priority issues are ensuring that both the Federal Communications Commission and the US Congress do not take apart the 1996 Telecommunications Act and give the major telephone and cable companies a monopoly on Internet Access Service.

In early 2002, the FCC issued a notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), which stated their intention to implement a number of regulatory changes the FCC claim would speed the deployment of broadband services.

The proposal is heavily supported by the incumbent telephone companies and would undo many if not all the consumer and competitive protections afforded by the 1996 Telecom Act and would result in consumers having higher prices and less choices for ISP service.You can read the FCC's NPRM and our Comments on the proposal here.

FCCNPRM pdf doc

NPRM Comments doc

In addition, WAISP along with the BroadNet Alliance and the American ISP Association are presently lobbying Congress to prevent legislation that is similar to the FCC’s proposal.

There are a number of bills presently before Congress that would gut the 1996 Telecom Act under the guise of promoting broadband deployment by the telephone monopolies. The two most dangerous of these proposals are known as the Tauzin-Dingell bill in the House, and Breaux-Nickles in the Senate.You can read our summary and comments about Breaux-Nickles here.

Breaux2430.pdf

WAISP is also instrumental in the first state-level anti SPAM (Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail) bill in the country here in Washington. We helped draft and lobbied for the measure along with the Washington Attorney General’s office. We also stepped in to help defend the law, which was recently upheld by the Washington Supreme Court.You can read our Brief filed in the Supreme Court Case as well as the final decision of the Court here:

Waisp Amicus.pdf

SPAM Case Decision.pdf