Neutrality the Rule of the Road for Broadband Funds

Federal agencies charged with funding $7.2 billion in projects to build better broadband in America today released rules that include Net Neutrality conditions for all grant recipients.

The openness rules state that applicants cannot favor any lawful Internet applications or content over others: "Without a non-discrimination [or Net Neutrality] condition, network operators could give preferential treatment to affiliated services, or charge some application and content providers for 'fast lanes' that would put others at a competitive disadvantage."

The Net Neutrality requirement is consistent with the original language of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act passed in March. The law specifies that the funds for broadband deployment be spent on services that meet "nondiscrimination and network interconnection obligations."

The openness standard also applies to wireless companies, setting an important precedent for the emerging wireless Internet sector at a time when many are questioning the openness of the Internet service available over the iPhone and other Web-enabled “smart” phones.

In other words, this money — your money — cannot be used by powerful companies like AT&T and Comcast to implement plans to filter or re-route you when you traverse the Web, either by your land line or your wireless connection.

In March, Free Press released a “broadband stimulus grant scorecard" that outlined the criteria policymakers should use to score potential broadband deployment projects. Many factors identified by Free Press in March – including Net Neutrality, broadband adoption, affordability, speed and job creation -- are reflected in the rules released today.

"These broadband programs are first class examples of public policy serving the public interest. They will use public dollars to build out Internet access as a public service infrastructure, " said S. Derek Turner, research director for Free Press and author of the scorecard.

Large corporations that say public interest requirements are too restrictive should now step aside to make room for the thousands of other companies, non-profits and municipalities that are eager to bring the benefits of an open Internet to the millions of Americans still struggling on the wrong side of the digital divide.