A House subcommittee on Tuesday will examine proposed legislation that would make the principle of treating all traffic on the Internet equally into law.
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on telecommunications and the Internet, introduced the bill, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss., in February to promote the long-standing practice of "Net neutrality."
The bill is a response to suggestions by phone and cable companies that want the freedom to charge content providers extra for preferential treatment of their traffic. They oppose any legislation, saying it would harm investment and innovation on the Internet.
The Federal Communications Commission recently held two hearings on the issue, after Comcast Corp. admitted that it sometimes delayed file-sharing traffic for its customers as a way to keep Web traffic flowing.
Among other provisions, Markey's bill would require the FCC to assess whether broadband providers are "blocking, thwarting or unreasonably interfering" with consumers' rights to access, send, receive or offer content, applications and services over networks.
Scott Savitz, chief executive and founder of Shoebuy.com Inc., a subsidiary of IAC/InterActive Corp., and Steve Peterman, executive producer of Disney's "Hannah Montana" TV show, are among those scheduled to testify at the hearing.
Several industry officials are also slated to speak, including Kyle McSlarrow, president and chief executive of National Cable & Telecommunications Association, which represents Comcast, Time Warner Cable Inc. and other operators, and Walter McCormick, president and chief executive of the U.S. Telecom Association, whose members include Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc.
The hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m EDT.
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