Rep. Fred Upton (R-Comcast)
The analysis is in, and what
appeared to be a shift toward real net neutrality has proven otherwise, as usual. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) announced last week they would have legislation that would "prohibit blocking and throttling (the selective slowing of data), and also ensure that internet service providers could not charge a premium to prioritize content delivery." Those are good things to work on, but it turns out that's not what's in their actual legislation at all. The Director of Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society, Barbara van Schewick,
breaks it down.
[A]s written, the Republican bill provides network neutrality in name only. At first glance, the bill purports to ban paid prioritization, throttling, and blocking and applies the same rules to fixed and mobile networks, echoing language used by President Obama and FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to describe their network neutrality proposals. But on closer examination, the bill is so narrowly written that it fails to adequately protect users, innovators, and speakers against blocking, discrimination, and access fees.
A meaningful network neutrality regime requires bright-line rules prohibiting all forms of access fees, application-specific discrimination, and blocking. Unfortunately, the Republican bill is insufficient along each key dimension required to achieve real network neutrality, thereby dramatically departing from the network neutrality consensus that emerged over the past year. Thus, as currently written, the bill does not constitute an alternative to the adoption of meaningful network neutrality rules by the FCC under Title II of the Communications Act, coupled with appropriate forbearance.
Schewick details the problems with the legislation at the link above, Free Press
adds more. Suffice it to say, Upton and Thune talk a good game on net neutrality, but it is all talk. But it does point to the fact that the messaging part of the fight has been won—they have been forced to acknowledge that something has to change to preserve net neutrality, they're just trying to do it underhandedly. No doubt the
nationwide polling released on Wednesday by the Republican firm Vox Populi Polling has something to do with their newfound desire to at least pretend like their doing something to protect internet access. Because 80 percent of
Republican voters agreed with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's statement that he plans "to propose rules that say that no blocking (is allowed), no throttling, no paid prioritization."
That leaves Republicans like Upton with two masters—their voters and the big telecoms that are giving them an awful lot of money. In fact, Upton and his House colleague who introduced the bill with him, Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) are among the biggest recipients of telecom money. And what Comcast wants from Upton, apparently Comcast gets.
Call or email the lobbying organizations who are fighting against you in Congress and with the FCC and tell to stop fighting against us.