FCC to Consider Issue of Cable Access for ISPs

The Federal Communications Commission will examine whether cable television companies should be required to give rival Internet providers access to their high-speed Internet hook-ups.

The move is in response to a federal appeals court ruling last week that the FCC, not state regulators, has jurisdiction over Internet services provided over cable lines.

FCC Chairman William Kennard for more than a year has said issues of Internet access over cable lines warranted a nationwide policy. The agency until now has opted to avoid acting on the matter, hoping that cable and Internet companies can work out agreements on their own.