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by: Mike Doyle (D-PA, 14th)
Washington, D.C. - April 1, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (PA-18) announced that the legislation he introduced to restore Net Neutrality, the “Save the Internet Act,” has been approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
“This is the first step forward in a long legislative process,” Congressman Doyle said after the markup. “With enough public support, we can enact the Save the Internet Act and make Net Neutrality a permanent law.”
“Today, thanks to Chairman Doyle’s leadership, we are one step closer to restoring a free and open internet,” Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone said. “Failure to continue moving forward on this legislation is simply not an option, and I look forward to bringing it up for a vote before the full Committee soon.”
The Save the Internet Act would prohibit internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking, throttling, or engaging in paid prioritization; close loopholes by empowering the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop unjust, unreasonable, and discriminatory practices; foster innovation and competition by ensuring fair and equal access to broadband for start-ups, small businesses, and entrepreneurs; and promote deployment and access to broadband for consumers and businesses in rural, suburban, and urban areas across America.
This bill would empower the FCC to assist consumers with complaints against their internet service provider – and enforce and fine internet service providers for violations; expand its authority to promote access and adoption of broadband across the country through universal service funding; facilitate broadband deployment by ensuring fair access to utility poles, ducts, conduits, and rights-of-way; protect the privacy of internet service provider customers’ account data; and ensure access to service for people with disabilities.
Senator Ed Markey (MA) has introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
ISPs have a long history of using their control over the link between internet users and the Internet Backbone to block – or extract money from – consumers and “edge providers”. That’s bad for consumers, bad for many businesses, and bad for the economy. It also slows down technological innovation and provides a serious obstacle to online start-ups, reducing our global competitiveness and slowing improvements in Americans’ standard of living.
The long history of anti-competitive, anti-consumer behavior by ISPs compelled the FCC to establish rules protecting Net Neutrality a number of years ago, and to ratchet up its rules in response to ISP violations of – and legal challenges to – Net Neutrality through 2015, when the Commission adopted the Open Internet Order.
Under the Open Internet Order, consumers had the right to access the content of their choice on the Internet, and content providers had the right to access consumers without having to pay tolls or have their service blocked or degraded by an ISP. The Open Internet Order prohibited Internet Service Providers from using their position between consumers and the Internet to advantage themselves, their own products and services, or third parties that want preferential treatment.
The Trump FCC under Chairman Ajit Pai voted in 2017 to kill the Open Internet Order.
Representative Doyle and Senator Markey led an effort to enact legislation under the Congressional Review Act to overturn the Trump FCC’s action. The bill was approved by the Senate, but the House Republican Leadership refused to bring it to the House Floor.
Control of the House of Representatives changed hands in January 2019, improving the prospects for passing legislation to restore Net Neutrality.
Information for this markup, including video of the proceedings, is posted here.
Click here for bill text.
Click here for comments of support from consumer groups.
