The week ahead: Net neutrality hearings to feature Genachowski, Sohn, Downes, all four FCC commissioners

On the Hill, House Republicans who planked their telecom agenda on opposing net neutrality will have a chance to sound off the against the controversial policy this week. The House Judiciary Intellectual Property subcommittee and the House Energy and Commerce Communications subcommittee will both hold net-neutrality hearings. 

Tuesday’s hearing led by Intellectual Property Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (Va.) will focus on the on the antitrust dimension of Internet traffic. Republicans have long contended that any potential net-neutrality issues can be regulated through antitrust authorities, making FCC regulations unnecessary. Witnesses include Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn and TechFreedom senior fellow Larry Downes.

The communications subcommittee hearing on Wednesday will feature all four FCC commissioners and the agency’s chairman. Republicans are expected to reiterate their view that the net-neutrality regulations stifle innovation and kill jobs. The FCC passed its rules in December in a 3-2 vote, with two GOP commissioners dissenting.

Expect tough questions from Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who has introduced a bill to halt net-neutrality regulations, and from Communications Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.), who has said he will try to repeal the rules through the Congressional Review Act. Both will want to know if the FCC exceeded its authority when it passed its rules. 

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), ranking member of the subcommittee, is expected to strongly defend the FCC’s action. She is one of the most ardent proponents of staunch broadband regulations in the Democratic Party and has said the FCC’s rules did not go far enough. 

Wednesday will be busy day: the Senate Commerce Committee also has a telecom hearing, focused on Chairman Jay Rockefeller’s (W.Va) wireless bill.  His legislation got a major boost last week when President Obama made a major speech arguing for the wireless proposal in Rockefeller’s bill.

The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on online counterfeiting the same day.

The telecom arm of the Commerce Department, NTIA, will release its broadband map on Thursday, as directed by the stimulus package. House Republicans said during a broadband stimulus hearing last week that the cart may have preceded the horse on that effort, as the Obama administration doled out broadband grants before mapping out where broadband lines are needed. 

Also this week: FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat, will speak on Tuesday at an FCBA luncheon; Andrew McLaughlin, the former White House Deputy Chief Technology Officer, will speak at the New America Foundation on Thursday; NARUC holds its Winter meeting this week from Monday to Thursday, with some high-profile speakers including Communications subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (Ore.), who speaks on Tuesday.