Jackson Free Press

According to a C-Net news story, the U.S. House voted, mostly along party lines, to reject an amendment to the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act (Cope Act), that would have stopped broadband providers from being able to treat websites differently on the Net of the future -- an amendment backed by Amazon.com, Google, eBay and others, while being challenged by Verizon, AT&T, phone and cable companies.

Democrats largely support the "Net Neutrality" concept, which would block broadband providers from being able to parcel about access and bandwidth to websites that pay them for the privilege, creating what's been called a "two-tier" Internet. Republicans, coming down firmly on the side of "less regulation" for the massive corporate monopolies that control nearly all broadband access, blocked the Amendment.

Here's hoping that the Fox Net Channel is as interesting and enlightening as all those fun blogs, podcasts and websites you used to be able to access quickly from your Dell.

In Mississippi, Thompson and Taylor supported the amendment. Pickering and Wicker opposed it.

Previous Commentsshow

The battle now goes to the Senate, where it's possible to reinsert language into COPE that would include Net Neutrality. (The rest of COPE, by the way, is pitched as a way to lower cable bills by allowing phone companies to go around the municipal authorities who have traditionally negotiated cable deals.) Note, for the record, that it creates a new federal regulation responsibility. The argument made by the Republicans against net neutrality? It would create a new federal regulation responsibility. Go figure.

Todd Stauffer

Jun 9 2006

This feels a bit like Gannett's Goliath distribution scheme, but on the Internet. Republicans tend to show no resistence to federal regulations that help their own intereasts as well all know. I really hate that kind of hypocrisy. Reminds me of the delicious, but tragic, irony of the GOP relying on the Equal Protection Clause and federal law during the Florida election mess. Go state's rights—until they get in the way of greed and warmongering.

DonnaLadd

Jun 10 2006

Cheers to Thompson and Taylor, btw.

DonnaLadd

Jun 10 2006

well that's a kick in the teeth well, screw the house, time to focus on the senate (and a good point to make about why we need net neutrality is to look at network media on tv. an important issue like this and has *anyone* heard anything about it on tv at *all?!* if fact, if it wasn't for websites and boogers spreading the news about it in the first place it may never have even been a blip on the radar. but that's what happens when big corporations control what we see and hear on network tv news. and that's what will happen if big corporations control what we see and hear on the internet.)

William Patrick Butler

Jun 11 2006

I fear this is going to be one of those issues that people aren't going to engage in until it's too late. But, but, what happened to .... Engage, folks, before the Web as we know is gone forever.

DonnaLadd

Jun 11 2006

http://savetheinternet.com/=act link to a petition and other ways to get the word out...

dvc

Jun 11 2006

i also urge everyone to call their senators and tell them you want them to support net neutrality. when the house vote was coming up i called bennie thompson and his office actually called me back to make sure i did indeed support net neutrality. so if you call, they will get the message. especially since everyone in congress wants all the votes they can get for november. anyway, here are some phone numbers you can use: Senator Thad Cochran 202-224-5054 Senator Trent Lott 202-224-6253 when you get their office, just tell the nice ladies who answer the phone (i know they're ladies cause i already called) that, as a voter, you want to let your senator know that you want them to support network neutrality in the upcoming senate vote. you can even tell them, if they want specifics, that you want them to support the bipartisan bill (S. 2917) sponsored by Sens. Olympia Snowe and Byron Dorgan, which protects Internet freedom. let's get to it guys

William Patrick Butler

Jun 12 2006