[Air-l] Fwd: [Asis-l] NCLIS News Release: NCLIS Urges Congress to take all necessary action to ensure Net Neutrality - 11/7/06

[Jeremy Hunsinger]

for those of you following the  net neutrality debate.

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Kim Miller <kmiller at nclis.gov>
> Date: November 7, 2006 3:08:51 PM EST
> To: "asis-l at asis.org" <asis-l at asis.org>
> Subject: [Asis-l] NCLIS News Release: NCLIS Urges Congress to take  
> all necessary action to ensure Net Neutrality - 11/7/06
> Reply-To: kmiller at nclis.gov
>
> News Release 11/7/06 can be also be viewed by linking to this URL:
>
> http://www.nclis.gov/news/pressrelease/pr2006/ 
> NCLISNetNeutrality-2006-14.pdf
>
> ********************
>
> News Release
> Contact:
> Information Officer
> 1 202 606 9200
> info at nclis.gov
>
> For Immediate Release
>
>                              NCLIS Urges Congress to take all  
> necessary action to ensure Net Neutrality
>
> Washington, DC. USA November 7, 2006-The U.S. National Commission  
> on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) today announced its  
> position on Internet neutrality ("net neutrality"), currently being  
> debated in the Congress.
>
> "The current discussion centers on whether content transmission on  
> the Internet should be subject to a system of prioritization known  
> as 'tiered service'," said Commission Chairman Beth Fitzsimmons.  
> "So far, the underlying transmission of information treats all  
> packets of information equally but this could change unless  
> Congress acts to prevent a move to a tiered service."
>
> A tiered system of transmission would permit a substantial shift in  
> Internet operations, allowing Internet service providers to charge  
> the content creators. Thus higher fees would make content more  
> available, since that content would be more accessible, but those  
> paying lower fees would have access to their content downgraded, as  
> Dr. Fitzsimmons put it, "to the slow lane of the Internet highway."
>
> "Content created by organizations with deep pockets would rise to  
> the top of a search, with the higher fees essentially enabling a  
> content provider to 'buy' a higher position in a search," Dr.  
> Fitzsimmons continued. "Content created by organizations with  
> limited funding for such costs; community groups, schools and other  
> educational institutions, non-profits, and the scholarly publishing  
> field, for example, would be greatly restricted in having their  
> materials available in the early stages of a search."
>
> With today's announcement, the Commission takes the position that -  
> with respect to Internet neutrality - Congress should take action  
> to assure the tiered access is prevented. In fact, according to a  
> study done under contract for the Commission, the government has  
> already taken a stand. In 1992, when Congress permitted commercial  
> traffic on the Internet, the Committee report on the legislation  
> noted that the change did not alter the "goals or characteristics"  
> of the network. Congressman Rick Boucher, the Chairman of the House  
> subcommittee that developed the legislation, explained during a  
> hearing on the legislation: "It is essential as the network is  
> structured that all commercial providers of network services  
> receive equal treatment and that Government policy in managing the  
> network not favor any provider or set of providers over others."
>
> It has also been suggested that the Federal Communications  
> Commission (FCC) handle net neutrality in a regulatory manner, but  
> a position has been taken by the FCC as well. In August, 2005, the  
> FCC adopted and published four principles "to encourage broadband  
> deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected  
> nature of [the] public Internet." While the principles have no  
> legal force and have not been codified, the FCC Chairman stated at  
> the time that these principles will be incorporated into the  
> policymaking activities of the FCC. The four principles are:
>
> 1. Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of  
> their choice.
>
> 2. Consumers are entitled to run applications and services of their  
> choice (subject to the needs of law enforcement).
>
> 3. Consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices  
> that do not harm the network.
>
> 4. Consumes are entitled to competition among network providers,  
> application and service providers, and content providers.
>
> "The Commission is in full support of the FCC's principles," Dr.  
> Fitzsimmons said, "and we as a Commission - with a statutory  
> responsibility to advise the President and Congress in matters  
> having to do with libraries and information science - respectfully  
> encourage Congress to reiterate strongly the position it took when  
> legislation permitting commercial traffic on the Internet was  
> developed. Equal treatment of content is important to all  
> information seekers. "
>
> ABOUT NCLIS
>
> The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science  
> (NCLIS) is a permanent, independent agency of the Federal  
> government charged by Public Law 91-345 to advise the President and  
> Congress on national and international library and information  
> policies, to appraise and assess the adequacies and deficiencies of  
> library and information resources and services, and to develop  
> overall plans for meeting national library and information needs.
>
> ******************************
>
> Kim A. Miller
> Special Assistant - Technical
> U.S. National Commission on Libraries & Information Science
> 1800 M Street, N.W.; Suite 350 North Tower
> Washington, DC 20036-5841
> 202-606-9200; Fax: 202-606-9203
> www.nclis.gov <http://www.nclis.gov/>
>
>
>
>
>
> ____
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jeremy hunsinger
Assistant Professor
Pratt Institute
www.cddc.vt.edu
wiki.tmttlt.com
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