Markey Introduces Broadband Policy Bill in House
Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of a House subcommittee on telecommunications and the internet, introduced a bill February 13 that calls on the Federal Communications Commission to take a more active role in ensuring a free flow of information over broadband networks. The Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008 (H.R. 5353), cosponsored by Chip Pickering (R-Miss.), calls on internet service providers (ISPs) to refrain from “unreasonable interference” or “discrimination” in traffic flow, but lacks the enforcement provisions that have derailed earlier efforts at net neutrality legislation.
In introducing the bill, Markey said it “contains no requirements for regulations on the internet whatsoever. It does, however, suggest that the principles which have guided the internet’s development and expansion are highly worthy of retention, and it seeks to enshrine such principles in the law as guide stars for U.S. broadband policy.”
The broadband policy principles that the bill seeks to establish are:
- discourage telecoms from blocking or slowing internet content unreasonably;
- maintain the internet as a “vital force” in online commerce and innovation;
- allow consumers and ISPs to attach “legal devices” that do not harm the network; and
- adopt and enforce protections against discriminatory favoritism or degradation of content.
The bill also calls on the FCC to investigate claims that ISPs are unreasonably blocking content or illegally levying surcharges for faster or higher-quality service, and requires the agency to conduct eight public summits on broadband policy within a year of enactment.
The FCC is already looking into complaints of discriminatory practices by Comcast. The Washington Post reported February 13 that the internet company has admitted in an FCC filing that it purposely slows some music and video downloads on its network, but only to ensure a better flow of traffic overall. Comcast also made headlines last October when the Associated Press contended the company was blocking uploads to peer-to-peer networks, including BitTorrent. The commission has scheduled a public meeting at Harvard Law School February 26 to hear from a panel of experts on broadband network management practices.
Markham Erickson, executive director of the Open Internet Coalition, said in the online Cnet news February 13 that the Markey bill is “an important step in insuring that the internet remains open for consumers and innovators,” and Google analyst Derek Slater wrote in a February 14 Google Public Policy Blog posting that “net neutrality and broadband policy are—and should be—about what’s ultimately best for people, in terms of economic growth as well as the social benefit of empowering individuals to speak, create, and engage one another online.”
Posted on February 15, 2008. Discuss.