Democrats Pledge Fight Over Net Neutrality.

Source: CNET News

The Democrats plan to fight a broadband bill that would mean extra fees for the user and put content restrictions on the net. At risk are certain content-rich applications that rely on a steady stream of data like online games, streaming audio/video, and live events.

This law would basically shut out the open pipeline format we enjoy now and replace it with a pay as you go formula that would give all the power over the internet to the big money telecommunications companies.

A committee vote is expected Wednesday on a Republican-backed proposal called the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act, or COPE Act. Democrats say the bill's portions dealing with Net neutrality don't go far enough to restrict telecommunications companies for levying fees for faster access.

The concept of Net neutrality, also known as network neutrality, says that network operators should not be allowed to charge content providers extra for the privilege of faster delivery or other preferential treatment.

The vote before the House Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to expose a partisan rift, much as a subcommittee vote did a few weeks ago. "The bill before us permits private taxation of the Internet," said Michigan Democrat John Dingell, who has said he would not support the existing legislation unless it was amended. "Private tax collectors could single out certain Web sites to pay extra fees while they select others for preferential treatment."

For the future of the internet and society's continued growth in general, this bill must be killed at all costs and never see the light of day in a vote. For technology's sake and future open-source advancements, a bill like this could set us back as a nation/world many years.

I hope this is the one rare occasion where reason and the future of our technology beats out the big money lobbyists on the Hill.

Join the pro-net neutrality movement here: Save the Internet Site.

Video of Ed Markey's pro-net neutrality amendment presented in Committee.

Text of the amendment is here. (PDF format)

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