[ti:New Proposals Intensify Debate on Net Neutrality]
[ar:Jim Tedder]
[al:Economics Report]
[by:WWW.51VOA.COM]
[00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English 
[00:03.48]Economics Report.
[00:05.17]"Information wants to be free," 
[00:07.96]the saying goes. 
[00:09.45]But the debate over net neutrality 
[00:12.40]could define how free the exchange 
[00:15.48]of information is going to be 
[00:17.93]in the future.
[00:19.28]Net neutrality is the idea 
[00:21.76]that everything on the Internet 
[00:24.21]should be treated equally. 
[00:26.55]That sounds simple. 
[00:28.29]But the issue is a complex mix 
[00:30.98]of technical, business, political 
[00:33.87]and legal questions.
[00:36.01]In the United States, communication law 
[00:39.69]is enforced by the Federal 
[00:43.27]Communications Commission. 
[00:44.91]Since two thousand five, 
[00:47.05]the F.C.C. has used four policy principles 
[00:51.69]to guide its enforcement 
[00:53.58]in cases related to the Internet.
[00:56.72]The policy statement says 
[00:59.02]consumers must be able 
[01:01.31]to get the lawful content, 
[01:03.45]applications and services of their choice. 
[01:07.03]Users must also be able 
[01:09.22]to connect their choice of devices 
[01:11.91]that are legal and do not harm the network. 
[01:15.25]Another principle supports competition.
[01:18.74]This week, in a speech, 
[01:21.20]F.C.C. Chairman Julius Genachowski 
[01:24.64]proposed two more. 
[01:26.54]One would say Internet providers 
[01:29.47]could not discriminate against 
[01:31.86]content or applications. 
[01:34.01]The other would require they explain 
[01:37.10]how they manage their networks.
[01:39.49]The F.C.C. chairman also wants 
[01:42.82]to extend all six principles 
[01:45.56]to wireless carriers now 
[01:48.70]that their phones access the Internet. 
[01:51.49]And he wants to make the principles into rules. 
[01:55.37]Next month he will seek 
[01:57.56]to begin the process, 
[01:59.06]which starts with collecting public comment.
[02:02.84]The new proposals have roots 
[02:06.03]in disputes involving two companies. 
[02:08.92]In two thousand seven, 
[02:11.32]Verizon refused to make it easier 
[02:14.75]for an abortion rights group 
[02:16.99]to send text messages to its supporters. 
[02:21.22]Verizon said it did not accept programs 
[02:24.75]on issues like abortion or war, 
[02:28.74]but it quickly changed its decision.
[02:31.97]And last year, a divided F.C.C. ruled 
[02:37.30]against Comcast for interfering 
[02:40.64]with traffic to a lawful music 
[02:42.78]and video sharing site. 
[02:44.87]At first, Comcast denied it, 
[02:48.36]but then defended its actions as 
[02:52.10]"reasonable network management." 
[02:54.93]Critics said Comcast was trying 
[02:58.47]to block competition 
[03:00.17]with its cable video programming.
[03:03.05]Chairman Genachowski says a 
[03:06.39]"free and open Internet" must be safeguarded. 
[03:11.66]But providers say they sometimes have 
[03:14.70]to block sites to prevent abuse. 
[03:17.39]And a big wireless carrier, AT&T, 
[03:22.21]calls extending the net neutrality policy 
[03:25.95]"a risky experiment" with American investment 
[03:30.61]in high-speed Internet.
[03:32.51]There is also debate about the desire 
[03:36.45]of some Internet providers 
[03:38.20]to offer special treatment 
[03:40.73]to sites willing to pay for it. 
[03:42.88]That goes against the custom 
[03:45.46]of treating all sites neutrally.
[03:48.65]And that's the VOA Special English 
[03:52.38]Economics Report, 
[03:53.83]written by Mario Ritter. 
[03:56.78]I'm Jim Tedder.