Conyers, Lofgren introduce new net neutrality bill

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced the Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act (HR 5994), a bill that would subject broadband providers to antitrust violations if they block or slow Internet traffic. The legislation requires ISPs to interconnect with the facilities of other network providers on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis. It also requires them to operate their networks in a reasonable and nondiscriminatory manner so that all content, applications, and services are treated the same and have an equal opportunity to reach consumers. Any ISPs that do not follow these net neutrality rules would be subject to antitrust enforcement. The legislation, introduced Thursday, earned praised from some consumer and online rights groups. Large broadband and mobile phone service providers have begun to discriminate against some content, with Comcast saying it has slowed some customer access to the BitTorrent peer-to-peer protocol during times of network congestion, they say. Other broadband providers have talked about managing their networks or asking some popular Web sites to pay more for fast service, net neutrality advocates have said.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/08/US-lawmakers-introduce-new-net...

MoveOn.org
"We thank Chairman Conyers and Rep. Lofgren for their leadership on Net Neutrality. With Net Neutrality legislation moving in the House and Senate, Barack Obama and congressional candidates embracing Net Neutrality increasingly in their campaigns, and a pattern of discrimination by phone and cable companies that beckons for a solution, there's big momentum for laws that will keep the Internet a level playing field for the little guy."