Comcast execu-tives are finding themselves in the middle of the newly roiling debate in Washington over network neutrality. Company officials stepped into the Federal Communications Commission dock Feb. 25 to face accusations that they discriminate in handling Internet traffic from content providers, violating FCC net neutrality rules. The hearing came less than two weeks after net neutrality re-emerged as a political issue on Capitol Hill. U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., a vocal net neutrality proponent, and Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss., introduced legislation that essentially would enshrine the FCC's principles into law and become guiding stars for U.S. broadband policy. The Internet Freedom Preservation Act would also direct the FCC to hold eight public summits in the year after the bill is passed to examine the current broadband marketplace and consumer rights. Thaf s a much different policy approach than Mar-key was pushing two years ago as the ranking minority member on the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
展开▼
