Net Neutrality

Net Neutrality

"Net neutrality" is the term used to describe the concept of keeping the Internet open to all lawful content, information, applications, and equipment. There is increasing concern that the owners of the local broadband connections (usually either the cable or telephone company) may block or discriminate against certain Internet users or applications in order to give an advantage to their own services. While the owners of the local network have a legitimate right to manage traffic on their network to prevent congestion, viruses, and so forth, network owners should not be able to block or degrade traffic based on the identity of the user or the type of application solely to favor their interests.

The issue of how to define, protect, and enforce Net neutrality has become an increasingly divisive issue as Congress contemplates new telecommunications legislation. EDUCAUSE, in partnership with Internet2, has participated in discussions with other concerned industry representatives to educate Congress about our concerns. The EDUCAUSE and Internet2 policy staff have briefed individual members of the Senate and House Commerce Committees, participated in congressional staff briefings, and testified before the Senate Commerce Committee and at the FTC.

EDUCAUSE has prepared a set of "Talking Points" to help encourage members to bring this important issue to the attention of their campus legislative representative, particularly those whose campus lies within the district of the key Congressional members (Senate; House) that will be voting on this issue in the near future.

Additional Information

• What can you do to help?
• Sample letter
• Net Neutrality Discussion Group
• EDUCAUSE Net Neutrality Talking Points

Legislative Language

• FCC's Four Principles of Internet Freedom: Preserving Internet Freedom: Guiding Principles for the Industry
• 110th Congress: Senate Bill 2917, Snowe/Dorgan's "Internet Freedom Preservation Act", May 19, 2006
• 109th Congress

EDUCAUSE Actions

• Open Internet Coalition letter to Congress requesting hearings on Net Neutrality, October 3, 2007
• Comments to the FCC regarding Broadband Industry Policies , June 15, 2007
• Sign on to letter to FCC concerning set top boxes , June 13, 2007
• Comments to the FCC regarding the Skype Petition, April 30, 2007
• Letter to Chairman Davis, Maryland House of Delegates, February 27, 2007
• Sign-on to letter to Congress requesting a National Broadband Policy, February 27, 2007
• Comments submitted to the FCC, regarding net neutrality provisions in the AT&T/Bell South merger, October 24, 2006
• Stevens-Inouye Letter, September 13, 2006
• Stevens-Inouye Letter, June 19, 2006
• Legislating Net Neutrality-Necessary?, a one-page issue brief submitted to the Internet Caucus Advisory Committee, June 2, 2006
• ACE letter to Congressman Sensenbrenner and Congressman Conyers in support of the House Judiciary bill HR 5417, the "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006," May 24, 2006
• ACE letter to House leaders Dennis Hastert and Nancy Pelosi in support of net neutrality, May 19, 2006
• EDUCAUSE joins the "Save the Internet" Coalition as a Charter member
• Association of American Universities letter to Representatives Barton and Dingell, March 29, 2006
• Press release regarding House Bill Language, March 28, 2006
• Co-sign on letter to Senator Stevens and Inouye, March 16, 2006
• Association of American Universities letter to Senator Stevens and Inouye, March 9, 2006
• Association of American Universities letter to Representatives Barton and Dingell, March 6, 2006
• Press release regarding Senator Wyden's Bill 2360, March 2, 2006
• Letter to Senator Wyden, March 2, 2006
• Letter to Representatives Barton and Dingell, March 1, 2006

Testimony and Reports

• Sir Tim Berners-Lee Testimony, before the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, March 1, 2007
• The Debate on Net Neutrality: A Policy Perspective, Cheng, Bandyopadhyay and Guo, March 2007
• Internet 3.0: Identifying Problems and Solutions to the Network Neutrality Debate, Frieden, February 2007
• Testimony of Dr. Donald Spicer before the Maryland House of Delegates, February 27, 2007
• Testimony of Gary Bachula at the FTC Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy Workshop, February 14, 2007
• Testimony of Jeff Kuhns before the Senate Judiciary Committee, June 14, 2006
• Internet2 Testimonybefore the Senate Commerce Committee, February 7, 2006
• Economic Analysis and Network Neutrality: Separating Empirical Facts From Theoretical Fiction, Trevor R. Roycroft, June 2006
• Preserving the Essential Internet, Center for Democracy and Technology, June 2006
• "Internet2 and Quality of Service: Research, Experience, and Conclusions" by Steven Corbato and Ben Teitelbaum, May 2006
• CRS Report for Congress: Telecommunications Act: Competition, Innovation, and Reform, updated January 13, 2006

Other Net Neutrality Resources

• It's Our Net
• "The Net@Risk", Moyers on America, PBS
• Steve Worona Interview with Kevin Mooney on Net Neutrality, the "Mooney in the Morning" show on Radio WKRT 920AM (Cortland, NY); May 24, 2006
• "The Net Neutrality Debate: A CIOs Viewpoint" by Michael M. Roberts, May 18, 2006
• Whose Internet Is It? NPR's Justice Talking debate on net neutrality with Art Bodsky and David McClure