Today, the New York Times weighs in again on the Net Neutrality debate, calling on Congress to pass legislation that would prohibit content discrimination. Currently, three Net Neutrality bills are snaking their way through Congress.

The Times’ editorial remarks on why an unfettered Internet is vital: “If you type in the domain name of a large corporation or a small blog, a government Web site or a radical political party, the pages are sent to your computer with equal speed. Like a telephone line, an Internet connection does not play favorites — it simply transmits the words and images.”

But the big cable and telephone companies have a vested interest in changing the rules. “They have realized that they could make a lot of money by charging some Web sites a premium to have their content delivered faster than that of other sites,” the Times writes.

The editors, who have chimed in for Net Neutrality in the past, agree that the time to safeguard it is now.

“Cable and telecommunications companies are fighting net neutrality with lobbyists and campaign contributions, but these special interests should not be allowed to set Internet policy,” says the Times. “It is the job of Congress to protect the Internet’s democratic form.”

This entry was posted on Monday, May 19th, 2008 at 10:27 am and is filed under Uncategorized.-->