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Net Neutrality 12-11-2006

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SavetheInternet.com Coalition Calls on New Congress

Companies like AT&T, Verizon, BellSouth and Comcast pushed the FCC to remove Net Neutrality protections last year and have since spent more than $150 million to keep Congress from reinstating the nondiscrimination rules that enabled the Internet to become an unprecedented vehicle for free speech and economic innovation. But in the end, they couldn’t overcome widespread public opposition, and Congress would not pass a telecommunications bill that failed to protect Internet freedom.

[ . . . ]

“We look forward to working with the new Congress to craft a comprehensive broadband policy that will preserve the open character of the Internet,” added Gigi Sohn, founder and president of Public Knowledge. “Consumers were the winners when Congress chose not to pass legislation during the session just ending that would have given control over delivery of Internet content to the telephone and cable companies and, in addition, would have given control of consumers’ use of digital media to the FCC and entertainment industries.”

The more than 850 groups in the SavetheInternet.com Coalition also include the National Religious Broadcasters, the Service Employees International Union, the American Library Association, Educause, Gun Owners of America, Future of Music Coalition, Parents Television Council, the ACLU, and every major consumer group in the country. The coalition also includes thousands of bloggers and hundreds of small companies that do business online.

Want to know what you can do?
MA Bell Monopoly Versus the Free Internet — Tell the FCC Net Neutrality Is Not Negotiable

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Net Neutrality 11-30-2006

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No Slam Dunk for Net Neutrality (with apologies to George Tenet)

What isn’t yet known is who will chair the pivotal Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee. If it’s Ed Markey (D-Mass.), then you have a strong Bell opponent, strong Net Neutrality proponent and some momentum. But, Markey has a lot of options. He could try for the chairmanship of the full Resources Committee, and he also has seniority on the Homeland Security committee.

Depending on what Markey does, the Telecom Subcommittee could be led by Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.). Boucher, like Markey, is a strong Net Neutrality proponent. But unlike Markey and very much like Dingell, Boucher tends to favor the Bell companies on many other issues.

[ . . . ]

With some positive Net Neutrality leadership in place, then the question becomes, what would be in any overall telecom legislation, and there the picture gets lots more murky. Let’s start with video franchising. This is the concept behind the Bells’ push for a bill this year. They want to get into the cable business, providing TV programming over their fast networks, and they don’t want to negotiate with 30,000 local authorities to get permission as the real cable providers had to do. So the Bells pushed the bill that gave them, and cable, a free pass nationally to enter cable business, pushing aside objections from local governments.

[ . . . ]

Remember, the Bells still have a lot of friends and a lot of votes in Congress, whether on Net Neutrality or not. There are many legislators of both parties, on the relevant committees or not, who will vote the Bell line regardless. Net Neutrality isn’t a slam dunk. The key will be how much the Bells will be willing to deal. They didn’t feel the need in the last session of Congress. Now, with the leadership against them, they may have a different calculus, of trying to get the best bill they can.

By now, the Bells have realized how important Net Neutrality is to a great many people and organizations, ranging from large companies like Google and Yahoo, to public interest groups like Public Knowledge (my day-job employer), something they probably didn’t count on this year. If they try in good faith to negotiate a reasonable Net Neutrality provision next year, the Bells could gain some of their goals despite themselves.

Want to know what you can do?
MA Bell Monopoly Versus the Free Internet — Tell the FCC Net Neutrality Is Not Negotiable

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Net Neutrality 9-09-2006

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Senate Commerce Committee Circulating Astroturf? [via freepress]

[ . . . ]

One interesting bit in all the noise: Public Knowledge points to this promotional pdf that is being circulated by the Senate Commerce Committee itself to “sell” its Senate Communications Act of 2006. You’ll note that among the list of supporting “consumer groups” are some familiar faces (like Consumers for cable choice) who are actually incumbent lobbyists dressed up as consumer groups. You’ll also notice that for whatever reason, the impartial committee promotional pdf features editorials solely against net-neutrality.

[ . . . ]

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Net Neutrality 8-24-2006

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Federal Trade Commission examines net neutrality
Move welcomed by consumer groups

“We certainly look forward to the analysis of an agency that exists to protect competition of the broadband market in which 98 percent of customers receive their service from either the telephone company or the cable company, if they have that choice at all,” Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn said in an email. “There are no market forces at work here, much as Chairman Majoras wishes there to be.”

The FTC will host a conference, from 6 to 8 November, focusing on protecting consumers in an era of converging technologies, Majoras also announced. The conference, named “Protecting Consumers in the Next Tech-Ade”, will focus on emerging trends, applications, products, services and tech issues in the next decade, she said.

The preliminary agenda can be found here.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE