Thousands Petition Feds on Network Neutrality

THOUSANDS PETITION FEDS ON NET NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: Wired 6/19, AUTHOR: Ryan Singel]
Thousands weighed in for and against new "net neutrality" rules during a three-month comment period that concluded Friday, underscoring unusual popular interest in a highly technical and little-understood aspect of Internet policy. By the end of the day Friday, more than 11,000 individuals had filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission on the topic, a number rarely seen in agency proceedings normally dominated by lobbyists. Most were filed at the urging of consumer and libertarian groups that provided sample letters. Although almost all participants appeared to agree fundamentally on the importance of maintaining an open Internet, they disagreed sharply about the means of achieving the goal. Liberal-leaning groups and content providers like Google argue the government needs to set enforceable rules to prevent broadband providers from discriminating against rival services and products. Internet service providers and open-market groups argue that government intervention is unnecessary because competition between ISPs is the best way to preserve openness. A complete analysis of the comments was not immediately available, but a random sampling found well-worn arguments on both sides of the high-profile debate.
http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/news/2007/06/netneutralcomments