[IP] Hardware firms oppose Net neutrality laws
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From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: May 18, 2006 9:46:42 AM EDT
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Hardware firms oppose Net neutrality laws
Reply-To: dewayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
HARDWARE FIRMS OPPOSE NET NEUTRALITY LAWS
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
The political debate in Washington over the concept known as Net
neutrality just became a lot more complicated. Some of the largest
hardware makers in the world, including 3M, Cisco, Corning and
Qualcomm, sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday firmly opposing new
laws mandating Net neutrality. Companies including 3M, Cisco, Corning
and Qualcomm sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday firmly opposing
new laws mandating Net neutrality--the concept that broadband
providers must never favor some Web sites or Internet services over
others. That view directly conflicts with what many software and
Internet companies have been saying for the last few months. Led by
Amazon.com, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, those companies have been
spending millions of dollars to lobby for stiff new laws prohibiting
broadband providers from rolling out two-tier networks. "It is
premature to attempt to enact some sort of network neutrality
principles into law now," says the letter, which was signed by 34
companies and sent to House Majority Leader Dennis Hastert and
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. "Legislating in the absence of real
understanding of the issue risks both solving the wrong problem and
hobbling the rapidly developing new technologies and business models
of the Internet with rigid, potentially stultifying rules." The
letter even goes so far as to applaud a committee vote in the House
of Representatives on April 26, in which Net neutrality proponents--
largely Democrats--lost by a wide margin. "We are pleased that the
committee rejected attempts to add so-called 'network neutrality'
provisions to the bill," it says. Even though many of the letter's
signers are suppliers to telecommunications companies, it still is
likely to help stall efforts to advance Net neutrality
<http://news.com.com/Hardware+firms+oppose+Net+neutrality+laws/
2100-1028_3-6073629.html?tag=nefd.top>
Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com>
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