Technology
Republican Net Neutrality Bill Allows ‘Reasonable’ Network Management
Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) (AP Photo)
(Info World) – Draft Net neutrality legislation released by Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress would prohibit broadband providers from blocking or selectively slowing legal Web content, but it would allow them to engage in “reasonable” network management.
The proposal would give broadband providers wide latitude to engage in network management, with a management practice deemed reasonable “if it is appropriate and tailored to achieving a legitimate network management purpose.”
The draft legislation would also prohibit the U.S. Federal Communications Commission from reclassifying broadband as a regulated public utility, and it would stop the agency from creating any new Net neutrality rules.
The draft legislation is a “thoughtful path forward” that protects consumers online, said Representative Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican. “By clearly outlining the appropriate rules of the road, and leaving 20th century utility regulation behind, we can be sure that innovators continue full throttle in bringing remarkable new technologies to all Americans,” Upton said in a statement. “This is the right solution that everyone, if they are serious in standing up for consumers, should be able to get behind.”
