CWA: Preserve Open Internet While Promoting Investment, Quality Jobs

CWA told the Federal Communications Commission that it supports steps to protect an open Internet consistent with the need to promote investment in the nation's high-speed networks and create jobs.

It is critical that new open Internet rules being debated "do not have the unintended consequence of dampening the private investment needed to build the next-generation broadband networks that will bring our nation's broadband capability up to global standards and create and maintain good jobs," CWA said in a filing.

At a time of 10 percent unemployment, CWA said the FCC must keep a laser focus on job-creating investment, recognizing that the companies that build, maintain and service networks, such as AT&T and Verizon, employ many more workers than application companies such as Yahoo and Google. In 2008, nearly 800,000 workers were employed by the largest wireline, cable, wireless and satellite companies, 10 times more than the number of jobs worldwide at 21 leading Internet applications companies.

CWA said that only significant investment in buildout will allow the United States to catch up to the rest of the world in terms of broadband speed and accessibility.

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