The National Organizations, a consortium of 24 minority and
women's rights groups, alsourged the commission to take open
Internet regulations slowly. The group argued in itscomments that
some specialized service agreements including some
prioritizationofferings are the best way minority-owned or other
disadvantaged start-ups can get off theground. Rather than adopt
"draconian" regulation, the FCC might instead require broadband
providers to disclose their network management and other
business practices in their serviceagreements, the National
Organizations said.
With transparency rules in effect, the National Organizations
said in its filing, the "inherent'shaming culture' of the Internet,
which does not tolerate online abuses and focuses consumer
attention upon them, will also provide a powerful market and legal
incentive for providers toact in the consumers' best interest." The
National Organizations also castigated the FCC for allowing the net
neutrality debate to distract it from what the National
Organizations calledwidespread discrimination in high-tech jobs and
media ownership. The size of thecommission's Equal Employment
Opportunity docket in 2004-2007 had fallen 96 percent
from the EEO docket in 1994-97. The National Organizations
accused the FCC of turning "a blind eye to these and other
discriminatory practices."
