DOJ Urges Caution on Net Neutrality

In September, the Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the commission to use caution before taking on any rulemaking procedure to address network neutrality. The DOJ noted that regulations promoting a scheme of net neutrality could prevent, not promote, innovation and that net neutrality proponents have not shown any evidence that consumers have been harmed by current business practices.

This is the second federal agency to indicate concern over net neutrality. In late June, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report on net neutrality, advising lawmakers to proceed with caution should they choose to create new regulations. Like the DOJ, the FTC report points out net neutrality regulations could have an adverse impact on competition.

While this was a hot topic last year, net neutrality legislation has stalled in this Congress as interest groups on both sides of the issue have lobbied to a draw. NAA continues to monitor net neutrality, but has not taken an official position believing that the FCC's broadband principles are sufficient in preventing discrimination.

First Published:
September 03, 2007