Net Neutrality
Feb 14th, 2008 at 6:37 am by Susie
Why am I not surprised? (she said, with a wry chuckle)
Now that Democrats have a majority in Congress, they are losing their appetite for direct confrontation with the phone monopolies over network neutrality.
HR 5353, introduced by Rep. Edward Markey, carries no enforcement provision on network neutrality, and even carries the co-sponsorship of a neutrality opponent, Rep. Chip Pickering of Mississippi.
Pickering has said he plans to leave Congress after this term and is expected to become a lobbyist. Defanging the network neutrality bandwagon will doubtless please his potential corporate employers.
The bill is a fig leaf, offering vague “principles” which would be “guide stars” for future policy.
Violation of the principles carries no penalty. The FCC would merely study the question and then suggest whether rules are necessary later.
