A U.S. Federal Communications Commission working paper says the success of the Internet hasn't been an accident, but the result of decisions by federal officials not to regulate it.
The paper, released this week, credits the FCC with developing a deregulatory environment that has allowed the Internet to flourish. For instance, the agency has helped to keep dial-up access affordable by exempting it from access charges and by deregulating telecommunications equipment.
But the report also urged the FCC to "maintain a watchful eye to ensure that anticompetitive behavior does not develop." It advised the commission to be "careful that any regulatory responses are the minimum necessary and outweigh the costs of regulation."
The paper was prepared by Jason Oxman, counsel for advanced communications at the FCC, and isn't an official statement by the FCC, the agency said.