NEWS
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D. C.  20554
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.
See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                     News Media Contact:
April 6, 2010                                         John Giusti at (202) 418-2000 
STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS 
ON THE COMCAST V. FCC DECISION
“Today’s decision is not just a blow to the FCC—it's a blow to all Americans who rely on 
an open Internet that serves all comers without discrimination.  Since 2002, I have warned about 
the dangers of moving the transmission component of broadband outside of the statutory 
framework that applies to telecommunications carriers.  The only way the Commission can make 
lemonade out of this lemon of a decision is to do now what should have been done years ago:  
treat broadband as the telecommunications service that it is.
“In tasking the FCC with creating the National Broadband Plan, Congress and the 
Administration recognized that broadband is critical for the economic success of this country.  
We are dealing with a broadband information ecosystem where many parts come together to 
form a complex, synergistic and interdependent whole.  My criticism today is not of the Court, 
but of my own FCC for the bad policy choices it has made.  It is time that we stop doing the 
“ancillary authority” dance and instead rely on the statute Congress gave us to stand on solid 
legal ground in safeguarding the benefits of the Internet for American consumers.  We should 
straighten this broadband classification mess out before the first day of summer.”
- FCC -