House Takes Flight Of Network Neutrality Fancy

The House of Representatives resumed its flight from reality on April 8 when it voted to repeal the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules to mandate an open and non-discriminatory Internet. The vote was 240-179, with six Democrats siding with the Republicans. On April 5, the House went through its warm-up act by approving the procedures used for the repeal, breaking out yet again the rambling, discredited arguments that have no basis in fact but which seem to take on additional merit when screeched at the top of a legislator’s lungs. No, the government is not about to “take control of your Internet,” as Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) vehemently argued. Nor is the government going to “assign priority and value” to content, as Rep Blackburn said. The concept behind a neutral Internet is quite simple: Those companies which provide access to the Internet can't play favorites. That’s the opposite of taking control and does not assign any priorities or values. That was the legal ground rule when the Internet was created, and which needs to be reinstated since the 2005 FCC decision taking away some of the FCC’s legal authority to enforce nondiscrimination.

The Republican side of the debate had almost a desperate, tin-hat conspiratorial air to it. Read paragraph 84, which will “squelch jobs and growth,” Blackburn said. Look at paragraph 47, footnote 148, Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) advised. One of those sets out the case-by-case basis for determining rule violations – a concept most liked for its flexibility. The other doesn't preclude a specialized offering, like Koshernet, as quoted in the order and it certainly isn't religious persecution. It says that network operators can't hide behind a Koshernet or like product that filters out some sites to get out of Net Neutrality obligations. If there were a dodge like that, the Net Neutrality rules, vague and incomplete as they are now, would be even more useless. Then again, neither Koshernet, nor any similar Web site, is a carrier.