Bill would mandate NN on nets built with bailout bucks

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Devil will be in the details and the courts. djf


Begin forwarded message:

From: Randall Webmail <rvh40 () insightbb com>
Date: January 29, 2009 5:17:42 PM EST
To: johnmacsgroup () yahoogroups com
Cc: dewayne () warpspeed com, dave () farber net
Subject: Bill would mandate NN on nets built with bailout bucks

Congress Wants Neutrality On Publicly Funded Broadband

Proposed legislation would prohibit traffic restrictions on networks  
built with stimulus money.

By K.C. Jones,  InformationWeek
Jan. 29, 2009
URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212903555

New networks built with stimulus funds will likely have to comply with  
neutrality standards, under rules proposed by the U.S. House of  
Representatives and Senate.

The House's American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan passed Wednesday.  
It requires high speed and openness on networks built with taxpayer  
money. The version from the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee also  
requires neutral network management and proposes to spend $9 billion  
on expanding broadband access. That version also offers tax incentives  
for ISPs that provide 5Mbps/1Mbps in underserved areas and faster  
speeds of 100Mbps/20Mbps to areas they already serve.

Advocacy groups praised the measures. Ben Scott, policy director of  
Free Press, said the legislation shows that policymakers recognize  
"the crucial role broadband will play in revitalizing our economy."

"This is a down payment on our digital future," he said in a  
statement. "We're encouraged that both the House and Senate bills  
acknowledge that we simply cannot afford to hand over billions of  
taxpayer funds with no strings attached. The government is an  
investor, not a charity. To maximize stimulus dollars, Congress must  
ensure that these networks are open, fast, competitive, and built to  
last."

The plans call for incoming Federal Communications Commission chairman  
Julius Genachowski to define the terms of network neutrality.

Of the $819 billion being spent to shore up the economy, the House set  
aside $6 billion to expand broadband.

Tens of billions of dollars for other projects are likely to benefit  
the tech sector as well, since IT and data storage are woven into  
infrastructure projects like the nation's transportation system and  
energy grids and school modernization, which account for another $113  
billion in spending -- not to mention spending on electronic health  
records.






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