Open Access News

News from the open access movement


Friday, June 09, 2006

Defending net neutrality

Lawrence Lessig and Robert W. McChesney, No Tolls on The Internet, Washington Post, June 8, 2006. An op-ed defending net neutrality. (Thanks to SaveTheInternet.) Excerpt:
Congress is about to cast a historic vote on the future of the Internet. It will decide whether the Internet remains a free and open technology fostering innovation, economic growth and democratic communication, or instead becomes the property of cable and phone companies that can put toll booths at every on-ramp and exit on the information superhighway.

At the center of the debate is the most important public policy you've probably never heard of: "network neutrality." Net neutrality means simply that all like Internet content must be treated alike and move at the same speed over the network. The owners of the Internet's wires cannot discriminate. This is the simple but brilliant "end-to-end" design of the Internet that has made it such a powerful force for economic and social good....

Update (June 9). Net neutrality suffered a serious setback in Congress today. Follow the details and help the continuing fight at SaveTheInternet.