Republicans Resist Proposed Net Neutrality Rules
The Republican Party has ramped up its opposition to Federal Communications Commission proposals to implement tough net neutrality rules, which federal regulators are set to vote on this month.
The new rules would ban broadband providers from blocking or deliberately prioritizing certain traffic in a way that favors their business interests.
On Monday, twenty House Republicans sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski urging him to put off the October 22 vote on his net neutrality plan.
Genachowski, one of three Democrats on the five-member commission, is seeking to set up guidelines to ensure that broadband providers do not abuse their power over Internet access to favor their own services or harm competitors.
According to Democrats, the rules will serve to restrain phone companies from discriminating against Internet calling services and stop cable TV providers from interfering with online video applications.
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However, in Monday’s letter to Genachowski, Rep. Cliff Stearns of Florida, the top Republican on the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, joined with his colleagues in warning that new net neutrality regulations could discourage broadband providers from investing in their networks.
The letter noted that consumers could be adversely affected if Internet service providers are not allowed to manage traffic on their own networks in order to ensure efficient service.
The Republicans are asking that Genachowski conduct a "thorough market analysis" to see if new regulations are necessary.
These points served to reinforce those made in a letter sent to Barack Obama on Friday by House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia.
Genachowski’s office declined to comment on the letters.
Meantime in the Senate, lead Republican on the Commerce Committee Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas is looking into legislation that would ban the FCC from setting net neutrality rules.
The Genachowski proposal calls for the FCC to officially adopt four principles that have been around since 2005, guiding the agency’s enforcement of communications laws.
Those principles specify that network operators must allow subscribers to have access to all legal online content, applications, services and devices.
Genachowski is also asking the FCC to add two more principles that would keep broadband providers from discriminating against particular content or applications and would require them to be open about their network management practices.
He is also calling for the agency to employ these rules across different kinds of broadband networks, including wireless networks.
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