Cities Weigh In Against Franchise Changes

The Alliance for Community Media filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Thursday arguing that the FCC's video franchise decision was arbitrary and capricious and that the Commission does not have the authority to regulate local franchising authorities.

Justice Dept Wary of "Net Neutrality" Proposals

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.

Ten things that finally killed Net neutrality

So what killed Net Neutrality?

Internet has to stay open, says Cerf

“If we ever move into a regime where the providers of basic internet services have control over what users or entrepreneurs can put on the network then I see a potential hazard to innovation.”

Black Lawmakers Digitally Redline African American Neighborhoods

Last year Big Cable and Big Telephone interests teamed up to propose national cable franchise laws that would have killed network neutrality, privatized the Internet and allowed providers a free hand to redline broadband deployment in black, poor, rural and urban neighborhoods nationwide. Stopped in the U.S. Senate last fall, they have resurfaced in more than two dozen state legislatures from coast to coast. Prominent among supporters of Big Cable and Big Telephone are the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, thanks to tens of thousands in donations from AT&T, Verizon and Comcast.

Stevens Aide Sutherland to Leave Senate

Lisa Sutherland said Friday that she will step down in several weeks as minority staff director of the Senate Commerce Committee, ending a direct working relationship with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) that began with an internship in 1977.

The Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunities Reform Act of 2006 (S. 2686/HR 5252)

The Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunities Reform Act of 2006 (S. 2686/HR 5252)

On June 28, 2006, by a 15-7 vote, the Senate Commerce Committee approved the Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunities Reform Act.

It took until August 4 for the Committee to release the final text of bill as amended at the June mark-up. In a year when key Republican lawmakers are promising sweeping telecommunication reform legislation, eyes are watching this bill as Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) tries to round up 60 votes needed to move the legislation to the Senate floor. If Sen Stevens can gain passage for the bill during the Senate’s brief return in September, it would be met in conference by the House-passed Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006 (H.R. 5252 – See http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=node/1882 for more on the House bill).

The Senate bill would: 1) streamline video franchising for telephone companies and others; 2) spell out broadband Internet consumer rights, but without nondiscrimination language urged by Net Neutrality advocates; 3) firm up and expand the universal service fund (USF); 4) clarify Internet telephone service (Voice Over Internet Protocol or “VoIP”) interconnection rights, duties, and jurisdiction; 5) authorize municipal broadband systems, subject to nondiscrimination safeguards; 6) impose a permanent moratorium on state and local Internet-access taxation, a three-year moratorium on state and local wireless taxation, and further preemption of state and local regulation of wireless services; and 7) institute various mandates targeting broadcasters and other media players, among numerous other measures. Below find a summary of the major provisions in the bill.

For a Microsoft Word version of this document see http://www.benton.org/benton_files/ATORA0904.doc

H.R._ the Network Neutrality Act of 2006

On May 2, Rep Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Network Neutrality Act of 2006, cosponsored by Rep. Rick Boucher, Rep. Anna Eshoo and Rep. Jay Inslee.

S.2360 Internet Non-Discrimination Act of 2006

The Internet Nondiscrimination Act of 2006 would ensure "net neutrality," or equal delivery of content on the Internet

S. 2327 Wireless Innovation Act of 2006 (Winn Act)

The Wireless Innovation Act of 2006 (WINN Act)aims to facilitate the development of wireless broadband Internet access by allocating certain areas within the broadcast spectrum known as white spaces that are otherwise unassigned or unused.