Archives: Internet

The Senate is poised to take action on massive telecommunications legislation that lacks important Internet freedom protections.

The House of Representatives recently defeated an amendment that would have kept the Internet open and free from control by large telephone and cable companies. Take action by asking your members of Congress to save the Internet by supporting "network neutrality" protections.

What's Net Neutrality all about?

Until summer 2005, big telephone and cable companies that own broadband Internet lines were prohibited from blocking or impairing your access to any Internet-based information or services you wanted -- or to use the techie term: to operate their network in a "neutral" manner, without favoring some content and services over others. Those rules had been in place since the birth of the Internet and helped foster the explosive growth of competitive, innovative online services.

Unfortunately, all that has changed. Last year the Federal Communications Commission wiped those rules off the books, giving big telco and cable companies the right to be the gatekeepers to the Internet. Today, there is nothing to stop these giant companies from blocking your access to any website or online services you choose or from creating toll lanes on the Internet that restrict the ability of online service and information providers from reaching you.

Now, consumers want their Internet back. That's "network neutrality."

What's happening in Congress

Right now, Congress is on the fast track to pass legislation that rewrites major portions of the telecommunications law but fails to protect the Internet freedom by providing for strong network neutrality rules. In fact, the bill just passed by the House of Representatives, H.R. 5252 the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006 (COPE Act) actually makes matters worse by prohibiting the Federal Communications Commission from ever issuing rules to protect Internet Freedom.

And in the Senate, the bill about to be considered by the Senate Commerce Committee, S. 2686, The Communications, Consumer's Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006, fails to restore any Internet freedom protections. Instead, it merely requires a study of the issue.

Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) will propose an amendment that would re-establish the strong neutrality rules that gave us the vibrant Internet we know it today. They need your support. Contact your Senators and ask them to support the Dorgan/Snowe Internet Freedom Preservation Act.

Bills That Restore Network Neutrality

Fortunately, some members of Congress are trying to restore the rules that protected consumers' right to access any website or online service of their choice without gatekeeper permission. They need your support.

H.R. 5417 Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006 introduced on May 18, 2006 by Rep. Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Rep. Conyers (D-MI): makes discriminatory and anticompetitive tactics that restrict or block access to the Internet a violation of federal antitrust law. Read the statement in support of S. 5417.

S. 2917 Internet Freedom Preservation Act introduced on May 19, 2006 by Sen. Snowe (R-ME) and Sen. Dorgan (D-ND): protects Internet freedom by preventing network owners from discriminating against different services and content on the Internet.  Read the letter supporting the Internet Freedom Preservation Act.

H.R. 5273 Network Neutrality Act of 2006 introduced on May 2, 2006 by Rep. Markey (D-MA): requires the Federal Communications Commission to implement rules that prevent giant telephone and cable companies from blocking, impairing or degrading your access to the content and services you want.

Being Heard in Congress

• In June 2006, Free Press, Consumers Union, and Consumer Federation of America testified on the revised draft of the Communications, Consumer's Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006, conveying strong support for expanding consumer choice and access to competitive video and broadband services.
• In May 2006, Consumer groups testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation regarding the importance of including strong, enforceable network neutrality rules in The Communications, Consumer’s Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006.
• In May 2006, Consumer and public interest groups testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation regarding The Communications, Consumer’s Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 and the need for expanded consumer choice and access to competitive video and broadband services.
• In March 2006, Consumers Federation of America, Free Press, the Media Access Project and Consumers Union sent a letter to Senator Ron Wyden thanking him for his leadership on the issue of network neutrality, noting that his bill will ensure that the Internet remains a vibrant source of innovative services, applications and information that consumers depend on and a competitive marketplace demands.
• In February 2006 consumer groups testified before Congress urging them to ensure that telephone companies seeking exemptions from local government control (known as local franchises) be required to offer new video and Internet services to all consumers in the markets they enter, not just wealthy consumers.  The testimony states, that "it is imperative that, as part of its consideration of competition in video markets, Congress prohibit network operators from blocking, impairing, or discriminating between content and service providers. The consumer, not the network operator, should determine winners and losers in the online marketplace."
• In February 2006, Free Press, Consumer Federation of America, and Consumers Union submitted a letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation about their efforts to tackle the important issue of network neutrality. The letter says, "The principle of network neutrality is simple, but crucial to innovation and commerce over the Internet. It lies in the DNA of the Internet as we have always known it."

In the News

This Week's Web Winners: Network neutrality?, Philadelphia Inquirer, May 19, 2006

Internet may feature fast, slow lanes, The Record, May 21, 2006 

Compromise May be in Sight on Video Franchising, Cox News Service, May 18, 2006

Saving Internet Equality, San Jose Mercury News, May 17, 2006

R.E.M. and Moby Speak Out for Internet Freedom, Against Corporate Web Takeover, U.S. Newswire, May 17, 2006 

Choosing sides on Net neutrality: Critics fear fast vs. slow data divide is coming to Web, The Dallas Morning News, May 17, 2006

Reports

Read "Why Consumers Demand Internet Freedom," (PDF) a comprehensive report by Free Press, Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America, which details the facts and fictions of network neutrality.

A poll (PDF) released in January 2006 by consumer and public interest groups reports that two-thirds of Internet users have serious concerns about practices by Internet network owners to block or impair their access to information and services, and the majority of those surveyed support congressional action to prevent this practice.

Guest Columns

Jonathan Rintels writes about the potential of online technology and the importance of the recent Supreme Court decision on the future of the Internet in this guest column "The Future Internet: Open or Closed?"

Stay tuned to HearUsNow.org for more information about protecting your right to unrestricted access to the Internet.