Coalition pushes for U.S. broadband plan

COALITION PUSHES FOR US BROADBAND PLAN
[SOURCE: InfoWorld, AUTHOR: Grant Gross]
Fifty-four organizations, including Amazon, Google, and TiVO, have called on the U.S. government to create a national broadband policy, saying there's no plan now in place focused on providing affordable access for all residents. The Open Internet Coalition, in a letter to Congress sent Thursday, said the U.S. government needs to adopt new measures to ensure universal affordable access to broadband, net neutrality and increased competition in the broadband market. The letter is the first step in a concerted effort coalition members will make to push broadband legislation in Congress, members said. Last month, some of the coalition's members called for open access requirements in upcoming spectrum auctions at the Federal Communications Commission. Increased access to the Internet is vital to U.S. economic growth, said the letter to Congress. "Now is the time to give this goal the urgency it deserves," the letter said. "As broadband networks become more and more integral to our economic and social life, we are reaching a tipping point where legislation is no longer simply welcome -- it is imperative." Not everyone agrees with the coalition's goals, particularly its call for Network Neutrality or open access on broadband networks. Large broadband providers like Verizon and AT&T have opposed efforts to pass a net neutrality law that would prohibit providers from blocking or slowing Web content from competitors. Such a law, the companies say, would limit their business plans and would discourage them from building fast new networks.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/24/Coalition-pushes-for-US-broadb...