 (Source: Toonk.nl)
Anti-net neutrality language removed from key bill
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and his staff earlier this week
proposed new
net neutrality rules that would block internet service providers
(ISPs) from discriminating
against internet traffic by traffic type (e.g. P2P traffic) and
prevent the sale of expensive "speed lanes" and relegation
of independent sites to "slow lanes". It would also
require ISPs to be more transparent about their traffic practices.
The proposal quickly was threatened, though, and the rest of the week
Genachowski and his Democratic colleagues in Congress were left
scrambling to try to save the initiative.
The measures were
placed in jeopardy by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's (R-Texas) language
which she planned to insert into an Interior Department
appropriations bill. The language would blocking financing
enforcement of the new FCC rules – many Republicans supported the
measure.
However, opponents on the other side of the
aisle pointed out that the ownership of ISPs had given the Republican
party much support and would stand to profit from the death of net
neutrality. And Republicans in many state legislative bodies,
such as North Carolina, have supported the imposition of greater
government restrictions on telecommunications, in efforts to
effectively outlaw
municipal Wi-Fi, which might outcompete the overpriced limited
commercial ISP offerings that currently exist.
In the eleventh
hour, they backed
down, though, thanks to the FCC staff reaching out to them.
A Republican staffer stated to The Washington Post, "While
we are still generally opposed to net neutrality regulations, we have
decided to hold off on the amendment because [FCC Chairman Julius
Genachowski] approached us and we are beginning a dialogue."
The
real debate will likely occur in October when the proposal is
officially presented. It will then go through a regularly
scheduled notice of proposed rule making (NPRM), a session in which
the ISPs and Republicans will likely push the FCC to relax certain
parts of the rules or make changes.
Industry sentiment on the
new measures vary. AT&T wants to make the enforcement even
stronger -- but exempt wireless services from the provisions.
Virgin's CEO, on the other hand, recently remarked that net
neutrality was a "load of bullocks". Verizon opposed
the measure, while Comcast gave it some praise. Industry groups
commented that the bill had some good parts, despite expressing
concerns as well.
"Nowadays you can buy a CPU cheaper than the CPU fan." -- Unnamed AMD executive
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