Preserving Net Neutrality

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)
ConyersBlog.us

Today, proving that not every issue need be partisan and divisive in Congress, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and I are introducing a new bill (H.R. 5417, the "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act") to protect net neutrality, a bill I believe is the most aggressive to date in Congress.

As many of you may know, the House Commerce Committee passed a major telecommunications rewrite that contains a so-called "net neutrality provision" that is little more than a fig leaf for the big telecommunications companies. The Chairman and I intend to pass our bill out of the Judiciary Committee promptly and fight for its inclusion in the Commerce Committee's bill when the Commerce bill is considered on the House floor.

Both Republicans and Democrats are troubled by the Commerce Committee approach. The reason the internet has been so successful is that it may well be the most egalitarian medium ever known to man. On this site, with a click of the button, anyone can have their views considered on a level playing field with anyone else who posts here, including Members of Congress and a former President. Anyone accessing this marketplace of ideas has the assurance that they will be able to access this site as quickly and easily as any other.

For people who innovate in the area of technology and those who enjoy those innovations, this free and open access to the internet has been a boon. New applications are being developed every hour and are able to be instantly distributed on the web. These new applications coupled with new content, such as broadband television, have the potential to offer a new array of choices to consumers.

Unfortunately, some telecommunications companies have a different vision for the internet. They have floated the idea of charging websites for access. Those who pay will get faster and more reliable delivery of their content to web surfers. Those who do not will see the delivery of their content degraded.

In the interests of openness, I frankly acknowledge that I am a recent convert to this point of view. A few years ago, I publicly expressed my view that regulation to stop impediments to net neutrality was a solution in search of a problem. At that point, I was aware of no telecommunications company that had expressed a desire to do so. That has clearly changed.

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