FCC to Consider Issue of Cable Access for ISPs

WASHINGTON — 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.