Justice Dept Wary of "Net Neutrality" Proposals

JUST DEPT WARY OF "NET NEUTRALITY" PROPOSALS
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Peter Kaplan]
Antitrust authorities at the U.S. Justice Department on Thursday warned regulators against imposing "network neutrality" regulations that would bar broadband Internet service companies from charging extra to some content providers. In comments submitted to the Federal Communications Commission, the department said some net neutrality proposals "could deter broadband Internet providers from upgrading and expanding their networks to reach more Americans." "Regulators should be careful not to impose regulations that could limit consumer choice and investment in broadband facilities," the department's antitrust chief, Thomas Barnett, said in a statement. The department said proponents of the Internet regulation had failed to show that many consumers had been harmed in a way that would justify government intervention. It said there was nothing unusual about the practice of setting different levels of service and pricing, citing as an example the various mail options offered by the U.S. Postal Service. "These differentiated products respond to market demand and expand consumers' choice," the department said. Advocates of the network neutrality idea criticized the department's conclusions, saying regulations were needed because many consumers had little or no choice of broadband providers.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0634185620070906

* See Dept of Justice press release
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/September/07_at_682.html

* Justice Dept. against ‘Net neutrality’ (Associated Press)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20625194/

* Bush Administration Takes Aim at Network Neutrality
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6476120.html?rssid=193

* Justice Department: Net neutrality regulations aren't necessary
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9773240-7.html

* A (Net neutrality) solution in sight?
Harvard law professor Timothy Wu argues that the merger agreement between AT&T and BellSouth, forged by the FCC in January this year, might offer the basis for a Network Neutrality solution.
http://www.telecomasia.net/article.php?id_article=5627

* Justice Department Opposes 'Net Neutrality'
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118913530798720424.html?mod=todays_us_ma...

* Net neutrality hopes hit by DoJ criticism
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/72aa6548-5cc3-11dc-9cc9-0000779fd2ac.html

* Justice Dept. Opposes Network Neutrality
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/06/AR200709...

-- Reaction --

* Rep Ed Markey (D-MA)
"The Bush administration’s decision to oppose Internet Freedom flies in the face of the open nature of the Internet, which has fostered unprecedented innovation and economic growth. Network neutrality safeguards would preserve the open architecture of the Internet and prevent companies from downgrading and discriminating against competitive Internet services and applications."
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3073&I...

* Media Access Project:
"It would seem that the President and the Justice Department cannot do enough for AT&T and the other companies that agreed to spy on the American people. Without network neutrality, companies are free to turn over user information without a warrant or block users from desired content — as AT&T recently did ‘accidentally’ by blocking Pearl Jam’s criticism of the President during a concert performance carried on AT&T’s broadband service."
http://www.mediaaccess.org/press/2007-09-06-DOJ-NNResponse.pdf

* Public Knowledge:
"[The Dept of Justice filing] is at odds with reality for a Justice Department that approved the largest telecommunications merger in history with a mere press release to now claim that market forces and antitrust enforcement will be able to protect the free and open Internet."
http://feeds.publicknowledge.org/~r/publicknowledge-releases/~3/15300526...

* Our Disgraceful Internet Policy
http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1177