Genachowski Answers Hutchinson's Network Neutrality Concerns

In mid-October, Sen Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) wrote Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski to raise concerns about the concept of network neutrality. The concerns were focused in four areas: necessity of intervention, impact on investment, unintended consequences, and fair application. She write: "Whether the Commission currently possesses sufficient authority to enforce the open Internet principles announced several years ago by the Commission is an important threshold issue. If the Commission has legal authority to take enforcement action, as it recently told an appellate court, I question whether it is then necessary to conduct a rulemaking on the subject, particularly one which would simultaneously announce additional principles with uncertain implications for investment and innovation." Chairman Genachowski has now released a letter in reply to Sen Hutchison dated Oct 21. He writes that "the goal of the [FCC's rule making proceeding "NPRM"] is to preserve the free and open Internet and its extraordinary benefits, including the ability of entrepreneurs, small businesses as well as network operators to innovate without seeking permission from any central authority, public or private. The NPRM is intended to launch a process by which all viewpoints and concerns, including questions about rural investment and wireless services, will be reviewed and examined."