February20,2015Ms.MarleneH.Dortch,SecretaryFederalCommunicationsCommission445TwelfthStreet,SWWashington,DC20554ViaElectronicFilingRe:NoticeofExParteCommunications,GNDocketNos.10127,1428DearMs.Dortch:OnFebruary19,2015,AlanDavidson,Director,andSarahMorris,SeniorPolicyCounsel,bothofNewAmericasOpenTechnologyInstitute(OTI),spokewithPriscillaDelgadoArgeris,SeniorLegalAdvisorforFederalCommunicationsCommissionerJessicaRosenworcel.Duringthatmeeting,OTImadethefollowingpresentationregardingtheCommissionsOpenInternetProceeding.AlanDavidsonbeganbyexpressingOTIsstrongappreciationoftheCommissionscontinuedgoodworkinthisproceeding,andinparticularoftheCommissionsstrongproposedrulesandinclusionofinterconnectionwithinthescopeofthefinalOrder.However,DavidsonalsonotedoneareaofsignificantconcernforOTI.Specifically,DavidsonnotedOTIsseriousconcernsonthemeritsofanyproposedtheoryforlegalauthoritythatwouldrecognizearelationshipbetweenanypersonorentitysendingpacketsovertheInternetasaspeaker,contentcreatororsender,oredgeserviceanddistant,lastmileInternetServiceProviders(ISPs),andthecreationofrulesbasedonthatrelationship.Historically,speakersontheInternethavenotneededtocareaboutthemechanismbywhichtheirtrafficreachestheISPsubscriberwhohasrequestedthattraffic.Indeed,thelevelofabstractionthatkeptthosetwopartiesatarmslengthisoneofthekeycharacteristicsoftheInternet.

Byrecognizinganovel,edgefacingserviceandclassifyingitasacommoncarriageservice,theCommissionriskscreatinganunintendedlegalrelationshipbetweenpacketsendersonthecontentlayerandlastmilecarriersontheinfrastructurelayer.ThisprivityhasneverexistedinthehistoryoftheInternet.OTIbelievesverystronglythatunderminingthefunctionalseparationofthenetworkslayerswouldfundamentallydisruptthewaytheInternethasalwaysworked.Davidsonalsoexpressedconcernsaboutthepotentialpoliticalramificationsofthiscomponentoftheproposal.First,thelegaltheorycouldalienatekeystakeholderswhootherwisestronglysupporttheCommissionsproposedactioninthisproceeding.Second,becauseitrecognizesanewservice,thelegaltheorysinclusioninthefinalOrdercouldleavetheCommissionvulnerabletoargumentsaboutpotentialoverreach.Giventhepotentialforareviewingcourttoacceptorrejectanylegaltheory,orcombinationthereof,offeredfortherules,OTIsconcernsexistregardlessofwhetherasendersideoredgefacinglegaltheoryisofferedasaprimaryjustificationfortherulesorasecondaryjustificationinthealternative.OTIurgedtheCommissiontoadoptatheoryoflegalauthoritythatrecognizesthatbroadbandcarriersdeliveryofedgeprovidertrafficispartandparceloftheunitaryservicethatcarrierspromiseanddelivertoconsumersnotadistinctandindependentservicetoedgeproviders. PursuanttotheCommissionsrules,thisnoticeisbeingfiledintheabovereferenceddocketsforinclusioninthepublicrecord.

Respectfullysubmitted,

/s/SarahMorris SarahJ.MorrisSeniorPolicyCounselOpenTechnologyInstituteNewAmericaFoundation1899LStreetNW,Suite400Washington,DC20036