Rep. Waxman Pledges Support for Net Neutrality
By Megan Tady, September 17, 2009
Score. Net Neutrality wins another key supporter.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) opened today’s FCC oversight meeting by singing Net Neutrality’s praises and pledging to co-sponsor the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, which would make Net Neutrality the law.
The bill, which was introduced in late July by Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), would finally safeguard Net Neutrality, and stop phone and cable companies from controlling what you do and where you go whenever you’re online.
Watch the video:
Waxman said:
The fears some have professed that Net Neutrality rules will stifle network investment have proven unfounded over the years. Most recently, over 2,200 public and private entities applied for broadband grants and, in so doing, opted-in to Net Neutrality rules. Industry will benefit from clarity, consistency and predictability with regard to Net Neutrality.
As a member who has worked hard to protect the intellectual property rights of our creative communities, I do not believe Net Neutrality and strong copyright protection are mutually exclusive goals. In fact, clear Net Neutrality rules should help broadband network operators explore innovative steps designed to stop the theft of online content. I know our new FCC Chairman shares my perspective on the importance of achieving both goals.
Indeed, the FCC’s new Chairman Julius Genachowski has already pledged his support of Net Neutrality. In August, he said he would stand with the public interest to prevent Internet providers from blocking, slowing or in any way degrading lawful content on the Web.
Congressman Waxman’s statement not only advances the bill, it also sends a clear message to Genachoswki that he has congressional support to establish a strong Net Neutrality rule at the FCC.
The growing support for Net Neutrality in Washington means we’re getting ever closer to protecting an open Internet for good. Hopefully, Waxman’s endorsement of the bill will have a domino effect, and we’ll be tallying co-sponsors faster than we can say “Internet Freedom Preservation Act.”
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Comments
Once the government/FCC
Once the government/FCC starts enforcing net neutrality, the monopolies that control the cable lines are just going to start limiting our internet usage and come up with a business model similar to cell phones. Verizon FIOS already lures you into a contract. The real problem is the monopoly that the government helps protect. The land the cable lines runs along belongs to the public.
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Thanks for this good
Thanks for this good informative article.
As far as Washington is
As far as Washington is concerned, this issue is not going to be settled in the immediate future.
Rep. Waxman/Net Neutrality
Thank you Rep. Waxman! Do you think you could have a little chat with my Congressman, Gary Ackerman? We're usually on the same side of issues, but on net neutrality he seems to have swallowed the telecom koolaid. Two of his e-mails responding to me even contained the old Internet-as-shopping-mall analogy which comes straight out of the telecom talking points. Since I have already experienced e-mail censorship by my Internet provider, AT&T, I consider this a very important issue.
Yeah, Rep. Waxman's support
Yeah, Rep. Waxman's support is another big step towards solid net neutrality legislation. A big thanks to Rep. Waxman and to all of his constituents who made sure he gave his support.
-Jake S
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THANK YOU
I wanted to thank Mr. Waxman as well. Which is more important, the internet or the US. I'd say we are moving beyond nation states. There was a time before them and there will be a time after them. We can talk of culture and we can talk of law and we can say the two are one, regardless of how we calculate structure we can say the structure of the net is really something new. Its the beginning of something new. Its possibly the first truely global human venture that isn't war. Its life blood is this neutrality principle, its kind of like a constitution that has yet to show us its power. In a way its more than culture, convention and paper.
The net moves us away from the inhearant duplicity of sponsorship/patronage society, away for a society of preemption. What we focus on defines us and then net gives us back our power over that most basic human faculty of attention. It gives us communication, it gives us dialog, the kind that for millenia has been recognized as leading to true human development. We find ourselves in conversation, it gives us a voice. Even where we could never delegate our power or really be heard in democracy we have a chance of having a voice here, possibly for the first time. The lineage we leave, and lineage for all of us, is over the long haul also the lowest common denominator. Lets make it livable, lets make it miraculous.