“Net Neutrality” in Congress

ALA praises bill that would ensure equal terms for delivery

By Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 04/01/2006

ALA praises bill that would ensure equal terms for delivery The term “net neutrality” has become a buzzword in Washington, and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) March 2 introduced the Internet Nondiscrimination Act of 2006, which would block network operators from charging companies for faster delivery of their content to consumers or favoring certain content over other.

“Neutrality in technology enables small businesses to thrive on the Internet, and allows folks to start small and dream big,” Wyden said in a statement. Lynne Bradley, director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office of Government Relations, told LJ, “We want open and fair access to the Internet and telecomm systems.” At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing February 7, broadband providers said they wanted the capacity to charge more for certain services, but companies like Google and commentators like Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig said it would stifle innovation.

The New York Times reported that another bill, proposed by Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), would leave more room to charge content providers for a premium service. Rick Weingarten, director of ALA’s Office of Information Technology Policy, said, “If the assumption is that only the rich guys need high-speed services, that’s flat wrong. Libraries, schools, the research community, and e-government are going to require high-speed applications.”