/ 03.03.2011 12:00AM
House Subcommittee Net Neutrality Hearing Scheduled for March 9
WASHINGTON: The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications
and Technology has scheduled a second hearing on the Federal Communications
Commission’s network neutrality rules. A vote on a joint resolution to
dismantle the rules had been scheduled by Republicans for yesterday, but Democrats called for
a hearing.
Network neutrality rules are intended to prohibit content discrimination by
Internet Service Providers. The issue gained attention on Capitol Hill years
ago when Comcast was found to be throttling bitrates on peer-to-peer traffic.
Democrats support the concept; Republicans consider it to be governmental
interference with network management.
Rep. Greg Walden, (R-Ore.), chairman of the subcommittee, introduced the joint
resolution to nullify the FCC’s network neutrality rules and scheduled the
vote. Democrats Henry Waxman and Anna Eshoo of California responded by calling
for a hearing, which is now scheduled for March 9 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
-- Deborah D. McAdams