Network neutrality supporters question Genachowski plan

Dozens of groups that have supported efforts at the Federal Communications Commission to create network neutrality rules have voiced opposition to a proposal from agency Chairman Julius Genachowski in recent days.

In a Dec 14 letter to the FCC, the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of Research Libraries and Educause raised several concerns about Genachowski's plan. The groups "fear that this form of proposed net neutrality is not true net neutrality," Corey Williams, associate director for the ALA's Office of Government Relations, said. The rules prohibiting broadband providers from selectively blocking or slowing Web traffic should apply to providers serving libraries and other institutions, not just consumer retail services, as the proposal suggests, the groups said. In addition, the proposal should explicitly prohibit paid prioritization, and it should drop language that says net neutrality protections should be limited to lawful traffic, the groups said.