Several Washington-based interest groups called on Congress Wednesday to retain the open-access broadband provisions in the economic stimulus package.
“Legislators understand that open access maximizes the economic benefit of publicly funded high speed networks," Markham Erickson, executive director of the Open Internet Coalition (OIC), said during a call with reporters. “Closed networks kill innovation; open networks nourish it."
The Senate this week passed its version of the economic stimulus package; the House passed its bill in late January. The two sides must now meet to negotiate a version that is acceptable to members of both chambers.
“Non-discrimination and network interconnection obligations … shall be contractual conditions" of grants awarded to broadband providers, according to the Senate version.
Broadband grant recipients must operate their networks on an “open access basis," according to the House version.
“We think that these two bills can be reconciled quite easily," said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, which is a member of the OIC.
Sohn stressed that open access is not the same thing as Net neutrality, another issue.
“Net neutrality is really a matter of a broadband service provider … playing favorites on any given network," she said. “Open access is a bit broader and has larger economic competitive benefits [because it] essentially requires carriers to share their networks with competitors."
“There are a lot of households where broadband Internet access is just too expensive [and] this legislation will take a big step toward directing that market failure and allowing all Americans become a part of the digital age," said Cathy Sloan, vice president of government affairs for the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA).
“Legislators understand that open access maximizes the economic benefit of publicly funded high speed networks," Markham Erickson, executive director of the Open Internet Coalition (OIC), said during a call with reporters. “Closed networks kill innovation; open networks nourish it."
The Senate this week passed its version of the economic stimulus package; the House passed its bill in late January. The two sides must now meet to negotiate a version that is acceptable to members of both chambers.
“Non-discrimination and network interconnection obligations … shall be contractual conditions" of grants awarded to broadband providers, according to the Senate version.
Broadband grant recipients must operate their networks on an “open access basis," according to the House version.
“We think that these two bills can be reconciled quite easily," said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, which is a member of the OIC.
Sohn stressed that open access is not the same thing as Net neutrality, another issue.
“Net neutrality is really a matter of a broadband service provider … playing favorites on any given network," she said. “Open access is a bit broader and has larger economic competitive benefits [because it] essentially requires carriers to share their networks with competitors."
“There are a lot of households where broadband Internet access is just too expensive [and] this legislation will take a big step toward directing that market failure and allowing all Americans become a part of the digital age," said Cathy Sloan, vice president of government affairs for the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA).
