Phoenix Center, FCC feud moves into day two

That irked the FCC. It argued in response that the report is junk analysis. “In its latest ‘study,’ the Phoenix Center appears to have reached its conclusions before conducting the research. The study goes to great lengths to prove the obvious: investment in communications creates jobs,” said Paul de Sa, chief of the FCC office of strategic planning.”

Next came an FCC blog post on the same topic, criticizing the report for its tone (“The Phoenix Center apparently thinks their latest paper [titled ‘jobs, jobs, jobs] is so good they named it three time”) to its rationale. The paper convincingly shows that the communications sector is key to job creation but is flimsy on how the agency’s proposals would adversely impact that, according to the FCC.

The Phoenix Center responded by saying it did not mean to diminish the National Broadband Plan, noting that it “would like to make clear that our analysis was never meant to take away from the good work the FCC has done to develop and implement a truly excellent [plan].” Larry Spiwak, president of the Phoenix Center, added that the FCC “risks sabotaging its own efforts” by placing broadband services under certain phone company rules, a proposal the agency floated in May.

The Phoenix Center takes corporate donations but does not disclose from whom. NCTA, the cable industry association, and pro-net neutrality activists have connected the Phoenix Center to AT&T to undermine the notion that its efforts represent disinterested analysis.