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June 10, 2006 

On Thursday, Congress turned down the "Net Neutrality Amendment" to the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act (COPE Act) 269-152.

The COPE Act is designed to make it easier for telecommunications companies to offer cable TV service and strengthen competition. Proponents hope it would lower the price of high-speed Internet for consumer by enabling Internet service providers to bundle phone, data, video and mobile phone services. It is the first major telecommunications bill in over a decade and it passed in Congress by 321-101.

The "Net Neutrality" amendment contained language that would demand communication companies providing Internet services to treat all data passing through their connections equally. It specified that each broadband provider has the duty "not to block, impair, degrade, discriminate against, or interfere with the ability of any person to use a broadband connection to access, use, send, receive, or offer lawful content, applications, or services over the Internet." This would have prevented AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and other broadband providers from charging content providers like Google, Yahoo, Amazon or eBay for priority access to their networks. Democrats were largely in favour of the legislation with 140 Ayes and 58 Noes, whereas only 11 Republicans voted for the measure, with 211 against.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi argued that "The imposition of additional fees for Internet content providers would unduly burden Web-based small businesses and start-ups," and that "They would also hamper communications by noncommercial users, those using religious speech, promoting civic involvement and exercising First Amendment freedoms."

The phone companies and their Congressional allies argued that the restrictions in the amendment would discourage investment in upgrading networks. Chief technology officer for BellSouth William L. Smith told the Washington Post that telephone companies should be able to charge companies for having their content load faster than that of competitors. "If I go to the airport, I can buy a coach standby ticket or a first-class ticket," Smith said. "In the shipping business, I can get two-day air or six-day ground."

The legislation has been subject to intense lobbying by telecommunication companies on one side, and content providers on the other. The bill is due to be discussed next in the Senate, where lobbying efforts from both sides are expected to intensify. The White House said that it supports the current bill.

Related News

• "US Congress drafting bill that may affect Internet freedoms". Wikinews, April 23, 2006
• "FCC head Kevin Martin endorses telcos' tiered Internet plan". Wikinews, March 25, 2006

Sources

• MR. MARKEY, MR. BOUCHER, MS. ESHOO, AND MR. INSLEE "AMENDMENTTOH.R. 5252". markey.house.gov, June 6, 2006
• "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 239". Office of the Clerk, House of Representatives, June 9, 2006
• Rep. BARTON "Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006". The Library of Congress, May 17, 2006
• US Congress "Communications Act of 1934, as Amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996". Federal Communications Commission, 1996
• Patti Waldmeir "Telecoms groups rejoice as controls ruled out". Financial Times, June 10 2006
• "Defeat for net neutrality backers". BBC News, June 9, 2006
• STEPHEN LABATON "House Backs Telecom Bill Favoring Phone Companies". The New York Times, June 9, 2006
• Jonathan Krim "Executive Wants to Charge for Web Speed". Washington Post, December 1, 2005