Industry, FCC coming close to agreement on net-neutrality

Meetings between FCC officials and industry stakeholders may be nearing an agreement on net-neutrality regulations, according to an analyst report by Stifel Nicolaus. The meetings are part of talks aimed at finding a compromise on Internet regulation in lieu of the FCC's proposal to reclassify parts of broadband as a telecommunications service. Such as reclassification would grant the FCC more regulatory authority over broadband providers. The goal of the talks, whose tempo has increased lately, appears to be to reach an agreement early this month, the report says.

The FCC will hold its monthly open meeting Thursday with a very thin agenda. Only two items will be considered: an amendment to the commission's rules that would enable consumers with hearing loss to enjoy the benefits of modern telephone voice communication devices and a proposed rulemaking that would remove regulatory barriers to the use of spectrum for wireless backhaul and other forms of communication.

On Tuesday, Earl Devaney, chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, and Danny Werfel, controller of OMB's Office of Federal Financial Management, will testify at a hearing on using technology to improve government efficiency held by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.