US Internet firms defend tighter Web management

US Internet service providers are making greater efforts to manage traffic on their networks as they seek ways to avoid congestion caused by bandwidth-hogging services like video. Network management of Internet traffic has become a flash point between companies and public interest groups which worry that companies will become the arbiter of what is important or discriminate against certain applications or content. Internet providers say they must engage in reasonable network management due to increasing bandwidth of applications used by consumers and that they are not policing content. "In the future we are going to get into applications like real time video that are going to require some sort of management," Bob Quinn, senior vice president for regulatory policy at AT&T, told a panel at an event held by the Free State Foundation, a Washington think tank opposed to heavy regulation. "Management is going to absolutely be required."