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That support was announced at a press conference with Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, two members of the Senate Commerce Committee who are co-sponsors of a net neutrality bill. Dorgan and Snowe are seeking to add their measure, S. 2917, to broad telecom legislation to be considered by the Commerce panel late next week.

Language similar to the Dorgan-Snowe legislation was defeated in the House last Thursday by a 269-152 vote, as that chamber overwhelmingly approved an overhaul of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

"It's vital that we preserve, not undermine, the extraordinarily democratic technological network -- over which content providers from the largest corporations in the biggest cities in the world to single individuals in rural towns have equal opportunity to reach millions of Internet users," Snowe declared.

Leading technology firms, joined by more 700 nonprofit groups, are supporting the Dorgan-Snowe legislation, which would bar the Bell telecommunications companies and cable TV operators from charging businesses for quicker Internet delivery of preferred Web sites.

The Bells and the cable industry oppose such a provision. The House-passed bill contain language granting the FCC the authority to bar Bells and cable companies from blocking competitors' Internet traffic. Network neutrality advocates say this does not go far enough.

The tech firms and allied advocacy groups contend that free speech is at risk, a point made Wednesday by Christian Coalition spokeswoman Michelle Combs and MoveOn co-founder Joan Blades -- who also spoke at the event with Snowe and Dorgan.

"To have MoveOn.org and the Christian Coalition" as supporters is "heaven for me," Dorgan mused.

Snowe said she believes other members of the Senate will support their cause. "Just because they haven't added their voice of support doesn't mean they aren't supportive," Snowe said of other Commerce Committee members.

She added, "If Congress fails to act at a time when it has this opportunity, I hesitate to think what the future implications are."

Both senators said they are open to compromise. "We may have to modify some language," Dorgan said.

Said Snowe: "Non-discrimination: That is what this is all about...We are all about preserving the
status quo. It is not about phone service, or TV and video; it is about the Internet. This is not about re-regulating; it is about restoring our laws to where they were since 1934."

Snowe was referring to the fact that "telecommunications service" providers had been regulated as common carriers that must serve all comers -- until the FCC in August classified the telecom companies' broadband services as an "information service."

The FCC telecom rules will take effect in August. Cable Internet service had not been bound by the same rules as applied to telecom firms.

"The network operators will decide who has access," Snowe said. "I think many members recognize there could be some profound implications for the Internet. It is going to change the landscape: It is going to be a cable approach to the Internet.

Dorgan later told a reporter, "The other side is beating this issue with a tire iron." He said Congress needs to set rules, not delegate net neutrality enforcement to case-by-case situations.

At Wednesday's event, about three dozen staffers from the Christian Coalition, Common Cause, Free Press, MoveOn and Public Knowledge -- as well as from two tech sector businesses, Amazon.com and Data Foundry -- stood behind the four speakers to show their support.

(Wednesday, June 14)

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