Comcast VP On Net Neutrality Ruling: 'I Think It Was An Unfortunate Decision'
By Chris Stigall
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Comcast Vice President David L. Cohen blasted the Obama Administration to Chris Stigall on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT regarding the Federal Communication Commission's vote on net neutrality.
Cohen said he is very disappointed that the President did not allow the process to play out until a better solution was reached.
"I disagree with the President on this and I think his intervention at a time when, quite frankly, I think his Chairman of the FCC was trying to work through a different kind of compromise that might have been more workable for everyone. I think it was an unfortunate decision."
He also took issue with the fact that the Commission has not released their ruling to anyone and that it remains unclear what exactly is being dictated.
"This is a 300-plus page order that nobody outside of the FCC has seen. Just to be clear, our lobbyists haven't seen it either. When you've got something this important, this complicated, I honestly don't think it's responsible to take definitive positions until you had a chance to review it and to really understand what the words are. If you listen to the Commissioner's statements yesterday, there appears to be some disagreement between the Republican Commissioners and the Democratic Commissioners about exactly what this order says about certain things. So until we have a chance to see it, I think we should be given the room to express our disagreement, and it's a strong disagreement with the authority the commission is using."
Cohen believes that any action taking regarding net neutrality should be handled by Congress and not through the FCC.
"We think that the appropriate action here is congressional action and, quite frankly, we think that Congress can put in place, under an appropriate regulatory framework, rules that would give consumers all the protection that they need without the regulatory overhang from this 80-year-old statutory language under Title II."
