House Panel Moves Forward To Repeal Net Neutrality Rules

WASHINGTON — House Republicans have taken another step toward repealing new Federal Communications Commission rules that prohibit phone and cable companies from interfering with Internet traffic on their broadband networks.

The House Commerce Committee voted 30-23 along party lines Tuesday to overturn the FCC's new "net neutrality" regulations, which aim to prevent broadband providers from becoming online gatekeepers. The rules prohibit broadband providers from favoring or discriminating against Internet content and services, including online calling and Web video services that could compete with their core phone and cable operations.

The FCC's three Democrats voted to adopt the regulations late last year over the objection of the agency's two Republicans.

The rules are also being challenged in federal court by Verizon Communications Inc. and Metro PCS Communications Inc.

The FCC had no comment.

Comments

[Dave Harpe]

01:21 PM on 03/20/2011

If the corporations can control the internet as much as they do broadcasting, is it possible to create a free, alternative "wikinet" which the people can get to without corporate control? The cost of information transfer is actually very cheap, and I would think this would be doable. If the internet had existed at the time the Constitution was written, I am sure net neutrality would have been part of it. We must have free and open lines of communication.

[Iron100]

10:25 AM on 03/20/2011

Now we will be forced to pay for individual website packages like we do for TV channel packages.

[Itaught30yrs]

08:36 AM on 03/18/2011

Hey Republicans.... Is this about American JOBS or job neutrality?

Seems like all the house legislation is on EVERYTHING BUT JOBS!

So, do we get your social agenda first? Then something on growing American JOBS..
Just asking...

[Reductio Ad Absurdum]

11:47 PM on 03/17/2011

At each and every turn, almost without exception, the Republicans will fight for the rich and powerful and try to crush the little guy. And at each and every turn, the Republicans will vote to cower backwards into the past instead of lead into the future.

Those two issues are always at the core of every political decision, every political distinction. Remember them next time you get into a political "discussion" with your Limbaugh-loving brother-in-law.

[Dave Harpe]

01:22 PM on 03/20/2011

And yet, many of the little guys still vote Republican. Duuuh!

[Audible]

06:48 PM on 03/17/2011

They can sell a restricted version of the Internet, I have no problem with that. However, while doing this they cannot say they are internet providers and/or call their product access to the Internet. Maybe call it access to verizon's Internet, but not THE Internet.

What's next? Oh, by the way we at Toyota have a deal with BP and you can only fill up at the BP gas stations because you bought our product. Don't like it? Then don't buy Toyota, consumer freedom. BLAH BLAH BLAH.

I buy it I do what I want with it!

[Mister Grumpy]

06:24 PM on 03/17/2011

I wouldn't expect anything less from the GOP............

G-reed
O-ver
P-eople

But what about all those jobs you guys said you were going to create?..............

[outofstepper]

04:20 PM on 03/17/2011

How is this going to lead to the creation of jobs?

Oh. that's right, it won't. Creating jobs and strengthening this economy is absolutely the last thing the Republican Tea Party wants to accomplish.

[avg american]

05:51 PM on 03/17/2011

fanned and faved...

It won't create jobs, but it will create another unnecessary burden for the middle-class and the poor and it will make the gluttonous corporations richer.

The greedy, gluttonous capitalist way.

[deepfreezevideo]

03:01 PM on 03/17/2011

Of course the FCC had no comment!
Regulatory capture fully engaged.
The only thing the FCC is doing is harassing two way radio users and low power broadcasters.

[bkerensa]

12:09 PM on 03/17/2011

In case some of you do not know what this means for consumers lets just say your internet bill is going to be $30 to $40 more per month in short time if you use Youtube, Netflix, Hulu, Internet Radio or play online games.

[Lyr]

02:55 PM on 03/17/2011

Online games are very lightweight in terms of bandwidth. I only play online games and surf the web, my bandwidth usage never goes above 3gb a month. On a side note the lag is noticeable when the rest of the neighborhood gets home and starts downloading from netflix.

[Phlan]

02:03 AM on 03/17/2011

Wow, they really hate us.

[deepfreezevideo]

03:01 PM on 03/17/2011

I know, right?
Where was all the outrage in November 2010?

[Msquad99]

10:34 PM on 03/16/2011

Cave people. It is difficult to not regard Republicans as cave people. En mass and as a block the Republican House votes to disregard ALL of the science on global climate change. In this story they are going after the internet. They have gone after Planned Parenthood, NPR, teachers and union workers. Conservatives now proclaim that we are broke and must adhere to austere measures as the price of gas, food staples begins to climb and they are focused on balance budgets. And still, no legislation or policy coming from Congress in terms of how to put the vast numbers of capable Americans back to work in decent wage earning employment. Do I have this summed up correctly?

[booker52]

09:08 PM on 03/16/2011

The GOP doesn't have a majority in the senate,, so this won't go anywhere

[thegreenchick]

07:31 PM on 03/16/2011

The people's protection by their government is under attack. By extracting every dollar earned, diminishing agency protections through deregulation, dismissing organizations that protect worker's rights, by coercing a Supreme Court decision which allows corporations equal rights as humans, and a host of other issues, today's corporations are eating their only food source to extinction. The economy is proof of it. Cable TV is an example of how consumers of electronic media are already nickeled and dimed and controlled by the greed of corporate communications businesses.

The question is, when will the greed be stopped? When will the people say, no more? Sabotaging the freedom of the Internet could be that hill upon which the greed begins to die. One can only hope.

Every Internet user should contact their representative and tell them how they feel.

[markie G]

07:45 PM on 03/16/2011

too late

[reynard61]

08:30 PM on 03/16/2011

"Every Internet user should contact their representative and tell them how they feel."

Good luck with that. Unfortunately, million$ in lobbyi$t buck$ speaks a lot louder than a 44¢ stamp, phone call, petition or e-mail these days. Face it, people; we've become a nation of The Rich, by The Rich and for The Rich and they want to turn the Information Superhighway into a t(r)oll-road.

[yougg]

06:03 PM on 03/16/2011

Typical Republican pay off to their corporate masters. And screw the rest of us.

[Arouete]

04:24 PM on 03/16/2011

A journalist would at least try explain to readers what this all means - it's called 'education and enlightenment'. Journalism? Sorry, my mistake. Robots just brainlessly regurgitate whatever boilerplate is spoon fed to them.

[Aurealeus]

03:46 PM on 04/04/2011

Most everything you need to know about internet neutrality can be found here:

http://www.savetheinternet.com/

[Arouete]

04:08 PM on 04/04/2011

Thanks but I'm not interested in going this journalist's work for him.