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May 25, 2006, 02:19 PM ET
'Network Neutrality' Bill Moves Forward
The House Committee on the Judiciary voted today in favor of a network-neutrality bill that would make it an antitrust violation for telecommunications companies to favor certain types of network traffic with fast-lane delivery to people’s computers and put other traffic in the slow lane. The Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act, HR 5417, cleared the committee on a vote of 20 to 13. The bill is supported by Educause and Internet2, both of which issued a joint news release last week saying the legislation “ensures that network operators do not act as gatekeepers by blocking, screening, or discriminating against certain kinds of Internet traffic or creating segregated Internet highways for their own preferred services.”
It’s unclear, however, if the bill will make it to the House floor, since the Energy and Commerce Committee has asserted control over network-neutrality legislation with a bill, HR 5252, that gives the Federal Communications Commission some ability to intervene in cases where network discrimination is alleged. This approach is not supported by advocates of network neutrality. The Rules Committee is expected to help resolve the standoff.
Categories: Legal-Troubles
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