It is a shame that being a Commissioner at what is supposed to be “expert agency” is such a political position. It shouldn’t be. (And it causes the agency to prioritize the wrong issues — such as the infamous Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction,” which was no more risque’ than many things on prime time TV.) But because the Commissioners are appointed by the President, are confirmed by the Senate, and make decisions that affect large corporate donors, it has been politicized. Engineers working at the FCC “speak only when spoken to,” and too often are called in after the fact to justify decisions which are made politically rather than to help craft decisions which are best for the public at large. I’d like to see the agency more isolated from shifts in the political winds — and more able to retain good technical people.

In any event, all ISPs and broadband consumers should be concerned about the damage that could be done during the transition via unwise appointments.

What’s more, just as when we had one party rule in DC before (though it was the other party), we have a situation where the Senate could well be a rubber stamp which will not carefully vet appointees. So, we cannot count on the Senate to reject appointments that will harm the Internet. We need an FCC that “gets it.”

During her presentation at the Supernova conference (where you were also a speaker), Susan said that the Internet is a “utility,” “like water, electricity, [and] sewage systems.”

This statement shows that she does not understand what the Internet is: a loose federation of independent entities that connect their networks together. It isn’t a single entity. No one provider can guarantee the quality of service from end to end once the bits venture outside his network, and each is free to manage his network as he sees fit. Centralized, utility-like regulation of the Net — besides spelling the end of independent providers and ensuring a duopoly — would destroy its very essence, and Susan seems bound and determined to do just that. Under this regime, we could say goodbye to small, independent and rural providers such as myself, without whom many citizens would be off the Net. In short, her agenda would harm Internet penetration and deployment, putting us farther behind other countries in these metrics. We need, on the FCC and on Obama’s team, people who really understand the Internet — not ones who will destroy it.