Net neutrality debate flares up
As Congress introduces new legislation, Comcast feels the heat
By Roy Mark posed an amendment to a duced his long-promised net openness and free-
Comcast execu- telecom reform bill favored net neutrality bill. dom,” Pickering said.
tives are finding by the majority Republicans “The bill contains no Markey’s bill is not likely
themselves in the aimed at prohibiting broad- requirements for regu- to become law in the 110th
middle of the newly roiling band providers from charg- lations on the Internet Congress, which hopes to
debate in Washington over ing content and service pro- whatsoever,” Markey said adjourn and hit the cam-
network neutrality. viders different rates based Feb. 13. “It does, however, paign trail shortly after
C o m p a n y o f f i c i a l s on bandwidth use. suggest that the principles Labor Day. Even if Markey
stepped into the Federal Republicans favor allow- which have guided the gets the bill out of commit-
Communications Com- ing the FCC to determine Internet’s development tee and the House, the leg-
mission dock Feb. 25 to net neutrality complaints and expansion are highly islation would have to be
face accusations that they against broadband provid- worthy of retention.” approved by the Senate.
discriminate in handling Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-
Internet traffic from con- Pickering said the N.D., and Olympia Snowe,
tent providers, violating House bill aims to R-Maine, also have intro-
FCC net neutrality rules. expand Internet duced their own net neu-
The hearing came less freedom and choice. trality legislation, a far
than two weeks after net more ambitious bill that
neutrality re-emerged as a would prohibit broadband
political issue on Capitol carriers from discrimina-
Hill. U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, tory practices such as
D-Mass., a vocal net neu- pricing in handling traf-
trality proponent, and Rep. fic from Internet content,
Chip Pickering, R-Miss., application and service
introduced legislation that providers. The bill would
essentially would enshrine also require carriers to
the FCC’s principles into offer consumers individ-
law and become guiding ers on a case-by-case basis. Markey’s bill is far less ual broadband service that
stars for U.S. broadband Markey’s amendment ambitious than his 2006 is not bundled with televi-
policy. The Internet Free- was defeated, and a simi- proposal. The bill is so mel- sion or telephone service.
dom Preservation Act would lar measure was defeated lowed out that Pickering, It was into this environ-
also direct the FCC to hold in a Senate committee. whovotedagainst Markey’s ment that Comcast offi-
eight public summits in the The Republicans’ telecom net neutrality amendment, cials stepped. Complaints
year after the bill is passed reform bill also failed, is co-sponsoring the legis- filed with the FCC claim
to examine the current leaving the matter where lation. Comcast’s network man-
broadband marketplace and it began: with the FCC. “We need to seek solu- agement policy includes
consumer rights. Sincethosevotes, Dem- tions like this one that deliberate throttling of
That’s a much different ocrats have taken control expand freedom, competi- peer-to-peer applications
policy approach than Mar- of the House and Senate, tion and consumer choice such as Bit Torrent dur-
key was pushing two years and Markey is now chair- rather than go down the ing peak network hours.
ago as the ranking minority man of the Telecommuni- road of unnecessary Inter- Comcast says its policy not
member on the House Sub- cations and Internet Sub- net regulation, while still only falls within the FCC’s
committee on Telecommu- committee. More than a providing a public proc- reasonable network man-
nications and the Internet. year after taking over the ess of accountability that agement exception to the
At that time, Markey pro- panel, Markey finally intro- ensures continued Inter- [CON TINUED ON PAGE 20]
