Internet Bill a Blow to the Gatekeepers
February 12th, 2008 by tkarrReps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) today launched the latest salvo in the struggle to keep the Internet free from gatekeepers with the introduction of the “Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008” (HR 5353).
The bipartisan bill protects Net Neutrality under the Communications Act and calls for a nationwide conversation to set policy about the future of the Internet.
 Rep. Ed Markey |
The legislation gives hope to the millions of Americans who have called for action to ensure that the public — not phone and cable companies — control the fate of the Internet.
Taking it Public
The new bill calls on the FCC to convene at least eight “broadband summits” to collect public input on a variety of policies “that will promote openness, competition, innovation, and affordable, ubiquitous broadband service for all individuals in the United States.”
Taking the issue outside the Beltway — and beyond the corrosive influence of telecom lobbyists — is an encouraging sign for communities across the country that stand to benefit from the enormous economic and social benefits of an open Internet.
Big phone and cable companies like AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner have padded the pockets of Washington lawyers, lobbyists and shills to kill Net Neutrality and pave the way for “network management” practices that allow blocking of certain content in favor of Web sites and services the companies prefer.
 Rep. Chip Pickering |
Barring Discrimination
The new bill makes it the policy of the US government to actively protect the free-flowing Internet from gatekeepers, establishing principles for consumer protections that “guard against unreasonable discriminatory favoritism for, or degradation of, content by network operators based upon its source, ownership, or destination on the Internet.”
These protections would be amended into the Communications Act, according to the new legislation.
The FCC recently launched an investigation — spurred by a complaint from members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition and thousands of letters from concerned citizens — into blocking of Internet services by cable and phone companies.
A Growing Coalition
“Americans need to ask themselves: What good is free speech if a handful of powerful corporations have the ability to shut off or slow viewpoints they find objectionable?” said International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “I applaud Congressman Markey and encourage other union members to stand with the 1.4 million-member strong International Brotherhood of Teamsters.”
“Gamers, the majority of whom are in the coveted 18-45 demographic, increasingly use the Internet to communicate, mobilize and play the increasingly complex games they enjoy,” said Hal Halpin, president of the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), a national nonprofit membership organization established to serve the needs of the millions of Americans who play computer and video games. “We look forward to participating in the discussion fostered by this important legislation.”
Markey and Pickering’s bill will reignite the grassroots campaign to restore meaningful and lasting Net Neutrality protections. Access to an open Internet connection is no longer a luxury; it’s a right that should be afforded every American.
The public now has a new chance to speak out against would-be gatekeepers that seek to distort the Internet in their favor.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
[…] more, see SaveTheInternet.com or […]
February 13th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
[…] American article on the subject. While some are cheering the new bill, like the folks at SaveTheInternet.com, others are claiming it is a waste of money, like the folks at the Council for Citizens Against […]
February 13th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
[…] the heels of this filing Rep. Ed Markey has lobbed yet another Network Neutrality bill into Congress, hoping to seize upon the growing public awareness of the actual and real attempts by […]
February 13th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
If this bill were law, Comcast would be in clear violation. While traffic management does need to be done to prevent network congestion, spoofing computers to break off a file sharing session is not the way to do it. If one user is hogging all the bandwidth in the neighborhood, add another node. Thats what consumers pay them for - speed!
Without a net neutrality law in place, publicly traded service providers will always stradle the fence between their customers and shareholders. More often than not, they will opt for the bottom line, leaving consumers rights by the wayside. Case in point: walled gardens.
February 14th, 2008 at 8:51 am
[…] Feel the same about it? Read more at ‘Save the internet’ […]
February 14th, 2008 at 10:43 am
[…] II - The Revenge! “Reps Ed Markey (D-MA) and Chip Pickering (R-MS) introduced the ‘Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008‘ (HR 5353) this week. The proposed legislation [PDF] would not legislate what is and is not […]
February 14th, 2008 at 11:08 am
[…] internet users, might take note that a new Net Neutrality Bill has surfaced. The bill seems to be a solid bit of work aimed at actually helping us (the consumers) and looking […]
February 14th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Net Neutrality Act Reintroduced in Congress…
Without a net neutrality law in place, publicly traded service providers will always straddle the fence between their customers and shareholders. More often than not, they will opt for the bottom line, leaving consumers rights by the wayside. It is ex…
February 14th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
[…] mulighet til å legge begrensninger på folks nettilgang for å tjene mer penger. Om forslaget:”Internet Bill a Blow to the GatekeepersReps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) […]
February 15th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
[…] here for more information about the bill introduced by Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Chip Pickering […]
February 16th, 2008 at 2:48 am
[…] cycle, or the Snowe-Dorgan bill introduced earlier this year in the Senate. So why is the SavetheInternet coalition excited, and why is telecom shill Scott Cleland in a lather, calling this a wolf in […]
February 16th, 2008 at 2:48 am
[…] cycle, or the Snowe-Dorgan bill introduced earlier this year in the Senate. So why is the SavetheInternet coalition excited, and why is telecom shill Scott Cleland in a lather, calling this a wolf in […]
February 16th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
[…] Article source […]
February 17th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
[…] interest groups, tech companies, academics and activists, highlighted by the introduction of the “Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008” (HR 5353). On this edition of the program we hear excerpts from two nationwide press conference calls […]
February 18th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
[…] the US front, the bi-partisan Internet Preservation Act of 2008 (or HR 5353) was just introduced last week. And while HR 5353 really doesn’t do much, there are components […]
February 21st, 2008 at 6:25 pm
One reason Comcast needs to be stopped is their foray into internet telephones. The advertise putting Verizon out of business, and they tell you that your QoS is the same as a land-line. But on the website hidden from view is the caveat that you should not use it for 911 calls. Comcast has up to a 3 - 5 wait for a technician to arrive, and they go down all the time. We also need to make this a front as to why Comcast can not be trusted, because they can not manage what they already have.
February 23rd, 2008 at 6:32 pm
[…] is a lot of talk going on right now about net neutrality and the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008. Fact of the matter is that telecom lobbyists will continue to impose their corrosive influence […]
March 29th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
[…] If you want to track the latest bill to protect Net Neutrality, the Internet Freedom Protection Act of 2008 (HR 5353), click HERE […]
May 12th, 2008 at 9:41 am
[…] in its regulatory language and also includes a provision that would require the FCC to hold nation-wide hearings to discuss Internet governance. This democratized approach has induced the RIAA and the MPAA to […]