Net Neutrality
Maine Republican Senator Olympia Snowe and North Dakota Democrat Senator Byron Dorgan teamed up to introduce a identical version of their bill, known as the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, which was removed last year. The bill being put back “marks another step toward ensuring the fate of the Internet lies in the hands of its users and not the hands of a few gatekeepers,” as Snowe said in a statement.
Internet companies, costumers, and a big number of important people ranging from actress Alyssa Milano to Vint Cerf argued that any action of limiting threatens the freedoms that Internet users have always enjoyed. Snowe & Dorgan’s legislation would tip network operators from blocking access to Internet and preventing costumers from connecting externals to the network with exceptions for security/virus.
The measure would allow applications, only if it is done for all types of that particular content without a fee. That means that Verizon, etc… could set aside pipe for all users to generate video contents, but it would have to make that pipe available to all sites for free. The bill also proposes that all broadband companies must offer customers the option of buying broadband service by it self or the whole package. The senators introduced the “same bill” as an amendment to communications last year. It failed by 11-11 votes that was mostly party lines; Democrats voting in favor.
“In the House of Representatives, Rep. Edward Markey is expected to reintroduce his own Net neutrality proposal, which seeks similar requirements to the Senate version but was defeated by the Republican-controlled chamber last year. An aide to the Massachusetts Democrat, who was formally named chairman of a House Internet and telecommunications subcommittee on Tuesday, said it was not immediately clear when that action would occur.” –
Tags: Internet, Net, Neutrality
