Don't let the service providers discriminate on the Internet

DON'T LET SERVICE PROVIDERS DISCRIMINATE ON THE INTERNET
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News 6/25, AUTHOR:John Doerr (Kleiner Perkins Caufield ) and Reed Hastings Netflix)]
[Commentary] A debate about the future of the Internet is taking place now in our nation's capital, and American innovation as we know it is at stake. The debate is over "net neutrality," an obscure term that refers to control of Internet content: What Web sites can be shown; what products can be displayed; what costs Internet consumers will pay. The term may be arcane, but it is net neutrality that has ensured the Internet's growth as a vibrant, open and non-discriminatory marketplace since its inception. This longstanding principle of net neutrality is now under threat, and the implications for the Internet and for American innovation are profound. This is not a debate about imposing new regulations on the Internet. This is a debate about preserving a fundamental principle of openness and non-discrimination that has always been a foundation of the Internet's growth and vitality. At its core, this is a debate about competition, consumer choice and above all, the innovation that has been a hallmark of the Internet
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/14899507.htm