Congressman Ed Markey’s Amendment Could Begin Government Control Over the Internet
       Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) has put himself at the center of what could ultimately be the battle for control of the internet.
       The battle places some of the biggest hardware and telecom companies against the Internet giants, such as Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. The conflict is called the “Net Neutrality” debate which may eventually determine the delivery of content and quality of internet service to everyone in the country some day.
       Congress is currently re-writing much of the Telecommunications Act of 10 years ago. A concern since deregulation is that some of the providers of internet to consumers would eventually begin to break up their services, much in the way they offer more TV channels for more money. Theoretically, they could limit video downloads to only certain customers, charge for excessive bandwidth usage and the like. The Markey Amendment says that Internet Providers shall not create tiers to their service, offering faster service to one group of users over another.
       Although this sounds very egalitarian and ideal, one might note that a “multi-tiered’ network already exists in a practical sense. To get on the Internet, some access via dial-up modem, some by cable or DSL.
       Those who are backing the Markey proposal are the big companies like Google, Yahoo, and MSN. As the most popular destinations on the internet, they have the most to lose if the Internet Service Providers decide they want to manipulate traffic on the Internet.

Other Side
       On the other side of the argument are the companies that actually deliver the internet to the end user, like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T. At stake for them is whether the federal government is going to tie their hands in the delivery of new and better services that the market place is demanding.
       Currently, the Internet has been running very smoothly based on the demands of its users. However, those in the United States are facing the next generation, which is the merger of services, such as internet data, telephone usage, and entertainment services. In many cases, it is going to take a shift from Coaxial Cable to Fiber Optic, and that with significant investment, just like in the last decade there was a shift from copper wire to coaxial cable and digital signal.
       If some consumers want to receive all of their services from a provider like Comcast by Internet, and they are willing to pay for the improved service, shouldn’t Comcast be allowed to provide that service and charge for the extra expense? The Markey Amendment could prevent an Internet Service Provider from developing the new, faster technologies, and making the investment which would ultimately benefit everyone.

Philosophical Arguments against Markey’s Amendment
       There are philosophical arguments against Markey also. The Internet has remained almost wholly unregulated from its inception. Although Markey claims that he is favoring that freedom, it actually represents the first piece of legislation that dictates from the Federal government how that service is delivered, including restrictions on billing, and offerings of bandwidth. Once that becomes codified, the door will be open for new laws and court rulings clarifying and amending those regulations. Thus, “handsoff” (www.handsofftheinternet.com) has been one of the main sites of detractors of the Markey Amendment.
       Critics of Markey also are quick to point out a measure of hypocrisy amongst its largest members. Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have made the most significant financial investments lobbying for Markey’s plan, claiming that they want to keep the Internet free from restriction and manipulation by commercial companies. Yet they have proven, primarily in their dealings with Red China, to be the biggest offenders of that principle.
       All three companies have crippled their search engines in China to filter out anything having to do with the pro-democracy movement, Falun Gong, or anything remotely critical of the government. With the help of the American companies, the Chinese government has been able to track down and imprison anyone in China doing a web search for those words or any of hundreds of other “black” words. One has to wonder how committed those companies really are to principles like freedom when a search in China for the word “freedom” in their engines would likely produce the phrase “unquestioning devotion to Chairman Mao’.
       Rep. Markey’s amendment presents the possibility of retarding any further technological advancement of the Internet. Furthermore, it creates a new role for the Federal government as watchdog over the last few hundred feet of service, from the pole to your home. In effect the concern is that it will neutralize the innovative, capitalist spirit which made the internet, and turn it into a static, regulated ward of the government.