On the recordJanuary 25, 2011
I rise today to introduce legislation that will preserve the free and open Internet that has led to the growth of broadband. The broadband Internet is integral to U.S. job creation, economic growth, education, civic engagement, and innovation. The network design principles fostering the development of the broadband Internet to date, an end-to-end design, layered architecture, and open standards, promotes innovation at the edge of the network and gives end users choice and control of their online activities. These network design principles have led to the network neutrality of the Internet, where there are no paid-for premium fast lanes and best-effort slow lanes. Today, broadband providers have access to technology and an economic incentive to favor their own or affiliated services, content, and applications; and discriminate against other providers of services content, and applications. If our Nation is to achieve the ambitious broadband goals put forward in the National Broadband Plan, the U.S. needs a clear Federal policy that preserves the historically free and open nature of the Internet.
