FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Tells Silicon Valley He’s Open To Obama Net Neutrality Plan

The Washington Post reported Tuesday night that Wheeler's comments put the chairman "at odds" with Obama. The report said Wheeler was "moving in a different direction" than the one the president was calling for, and quoted the chairman as saying he would need to "split the baby" between competing plans.

But people who were at the meeting told The Huffington Post that Wheeler was driving at a different message with the "baby" metaphor. Rather, they said, Wheeler was saying that he was the man at the center of what is becoming an increasingly tense fight, and that he needed political support to fend off the expected attacks.

HuffPost spoke with six people who were at the meeting, five of whom agreed to be quoted on the record. All of them had the same impression of Wheeler's comments.

Julie Samuels, executive director and board president of Engine, an organization that advocates on issues relevant to startups, was at the meeting. She told HuffPost that she wouldn't describe Wheeler's comments as being defiant towards the president. Instead, her impression was that Wheeler was taking Obama's plan under consideration.

Coming out of the meeting, she said, it was clear that Wheeler had initially been leaning — before the president's statement — towards the so-called “hybrid” or compromise approach. But after the statement, “it’s not clear anymore.”

She added, “I think he hasn't made up his mind yet.”

via www.huffingtonpost.com

If you like this post, please consider sharing it.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *