Net Neutrality

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Definition:

Net Neutrality is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet. Violations of the principle of network neutrality also occur in the censorship of political, immoral or religious material around the world. For example China and Saudi Arabia both filter content on the Internet, preventing access to certain types of websites. Singapore has network blocks on more than 100 sites. In Britain telecommunication companies block access to websites that depict sexually explicit images of children. In Norway some ISPs use a voluntary filter to censor websites that the police  believe to contain what they believe are abuse images of young children.  Germany also blocks foreign sites for copyright and other reasons.

History:

• Almon Brown Strowger is said to be credited with "automatic exchange" after deciding telephone operators were non-neutral.
• "The term net-neutrality was coined only recently, but advocates argue that the concept existed in the age of the telegraph."
•  In 2005, the FCC enforced network neutrality principles in a case of abuse involving Madison River Communications, a small DSL provider that briefly blocked Voice over IP service.
•  A bill called the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006 was introduced in the US House of Representatives, which supports principles supported by the FCC and authorized fines up to $750,000 for infractions.
• The bill was passed 321-101 by House of Representatives on June 8, 2006 but failed to become law when it was filibustered in the Senate.
   

 What Is The Current Status of Net Neutrality?

•  Today, the neutrality of the internet is at stake as the broadband carriers want Congresses's permission to determine what gets to you first and the fastest.
•  Net neutrality is a major issue as the U.S. considers new telecommunications laws. The U.S. House of Representatives passed its telecommunications bill, H.R. 5252, in May, without adequate net neutrality protections. Now the fight has moved to U.S. Senate. On June 28, the Senate Commerce Committee passed its own telecom bill, S. 2686. While an amendment to the bill that would have added meaningful net neutrality safeguards failed 11-11, this tie vote marks a significant political victory and gives the effort new momentum. The debate now shifts to the full Senate, where advocates will be working to get strong net neutrality language is any bill that the Senate considers

• In a June 2007 report, the Federal Trade Commission urged restraint with respect to the new regulations proposed by network neutrality advocates, noting the "broadband industry is a relatively young and evolving one," and given no "significant market failure or demonstrated consumer harm from conduct by broadband providers," such regulations "may well have adverse effects on consumer welfare, despite the good intentions of their proponents." In turn, the FTC conclusions have been questioned in Congress, as in September 2007, when Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., chairman of the Senate interstate commerce, trade and tourism subcommittee, told FTC Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras that he feared new services as ground-breaking as Google could not get started in a system with price discrimination

Group - TeamEmeraldEdition

• Mark Samudre
• George Smith 
• Katherine Wilk
• Mike Nugent

Sources

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality
2. http://www.google.com/help/netneutrality.html
3. Source 3
4. Source 4

Meetings

Drafts

Draft 1

Draft 2