Tim Kravchunovsky, founder and CEO of the decentralized telecommunications network Chirp, fears the incoming chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, could stifle the decentralized telecommunications industry if he moves to repeal net neutrality once again. While Carr’s anti-Big Tech stance could be helpful for smaller challengers, a successful industry needs specific policies that drive competition in the telecom space.
“The appointment of Brendan Carr to lead the US Federal Communications Commission is likely to be a setback for decentralized telecommunications networks building in the US,” Kravchunovsky said. “Carr is a well-known opponent of net neutrality, a set of telecom regulations that were recently reinstated by the Federal Communications Commission after being repealed by the Donald Trump administration in 2017.”
Kravchunovsky said net neutrality ensures that internet service providers treat all data on the Internet equally, without discriminating or charging differently by user, content, site, platform, application, or communication method. It means internet service providers can’t block or slow down your connection or charge extra money for specific online content, and service providers like Netflix can’t promote their services.
“Net neutrality is a huge deal from a consumer protection point of view, but it’s also key for decentralized networks because it helps create a level playing field and promotes healthy competition,” Kravchunovsky said. “If Carr decides to repeal these rules once again, this could re-create an environment that is far more supportive of large internet service providers, to the detriment of decentralized challengers.”
“However, it is worth noting that Carr is also a major Big Tech skeptic. He has called Big Tech like Meta and Apple a ‘censorship cartel’ and has initiated a probe into their censorship practices. Time will tell how this will pan out, but it could benefit smaller telecom providers in the long run.
“I’d like to see specific policies that allocate more spectrum access to smaller, alternative networks and measures to reduce the monopoly of Big Tech, though. Without this, smaller decentralized networks will face a challenging environment over the coming years.”
