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from: Technology Daily

Wyden Warns Of Market Domination Without 'Net Neutrality' Provisions

By David Hatch

(Friday, July 14) Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., painted a grim portrait of an Internet dominated by telecom and cable giants if legislation approved late last month by the Senate Commerce Committee legislation is enacted into law.

"Unless there is a clear policy preserving the neutrality of the Internet, and without tough sanctions against those who would discriminate online, in my view the Internet would be changed forever -- for the worst," he warned during a Senate floor speech.

Wyden and other critics worry that the measure's so-called network neutrality provisions are too weak to prevent broadband operators from controlling the content transmitted over their high-speed wires. Those provisions are intended to prevent operators from potentially acting as Internet gatekeepers.

Wyden reiterated his plans to place a procedural roadblock -- known in the Senate as a "hold" -- on the legislation, spearheaded by Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, if it is not amended with tougher safeguards.

Wyden detailed scenarios under which rank-and-file citizens and small businesses would be saddled with hefty fees imposed by Internet providers if the Stevens bill becomes law. Corporations opposed to net neutrality are spending millions of dollars on lobbying and advertising to secure the bill's passage so they can make "billions" from a two-tiered Internet, he contended.

Stevens' approach to net neutrality has strong support among Republicans and major players in the telecommunications and cable industries -- such as AT&T, Verizon Communications and Time Warner -- that are investing heavily in high-speed Internet service. Such communications giants want to prioritize the delivery of bandwidth-hungry applications, such as video, to ensure uninterrupted service.

But critics -- including many Democrats and such major tech sector firms as Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo -- say the Stevens bill would let broadband operators relegate content providers to a slow lane if they refuse to pay for priority treatment. "I intend to do everything in my power to keep that from happening," Wyden vowed.

Wyden -- who does not sit on the Commerce Committee, but who has been active on a series of Internet-related issues in recent years -- has introduced his own net neutrality measure.

"Verizon and Google can take of themselves. They've got deep pockets. They've got lots of clout," said Wyden -- whose home state is the site of a massive Google data center slated to open later this year. Wyden emphasized that he is concerned instead about the "future Googles."

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., will not schedule floor time for the Commerce Committee-approved telecom bill unless Stevens musters up 60 votes to override anticipated filibusters.

Earlier this week, Frist did not mention telecom legislation when he outlined the Senate schedule for the remainder of the year. Stevens has said the bill could reach the floor in September.

Wyden's remarks come as the neutrality debate simmers like the summer heat that traditionally envelopes Washington.

Sens. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., failed to add tougher neutrality language to the Senate bill during committee action in late June. Nevertheless, they are emboldened by the 11-11 tie vote they garnered, and will try again when -- and if -- the legislation reaches the Senate floor.

Meanwhile, the "It's Our Net" coalition, a pro-neutrality group, Thursday sent a letter to senators urging them to support strict neutrality language. But coalition member Microsoft was conspicuously absent from the list of signers, which included other large Internet firms.

Officials representing Microsoft and the coalition provided no explanation, but one official said Microsoft remains a member of the coalition and has signed similar letters.