“Net Neutrality” Set Back in House

-- Library Journal, 06/12/2006

Despite the efforts of Internet companies like Google and a coalition including the American Library Association, the U.S. House of Representatives on June 8 dealt a major blow to “Net neutrality,” voting 269-152 against an amendment that would block network operators from charging companies for faster delivery of their content to consumers or favoring certain content over other content. The vote, according to CNET, was mainly along party lines, with Republicans opposing the concept. Telecom providers have lobbied hard against its inclusion in the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement (COPE) Act, which had been approved by a House committee in April. “The future Sergey Brins, the future Marc Andreessens, of Netscape and Google... are going to have to pay taxes" to broadband providers, said Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), a supporter of the amendment. Several other bills on the issue are pending, though the recent vote suggests that the House would be unlikely to accept them.