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Obama threatens net neutrality veto

November 9, 2011

The White House has warned that President Obama would veto a resolution introduced in the Senate that seeks to overturn “net neutrality” rules aimed at ensuring an open Internet.

The House of Representatives approved a Republican resolution in April that seeks to block the rules approved in December last year by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The Senate is considering a similar resolution this week and the White House said Obama would use his veto power if it ispassed . “The administration strongly opposes Senate passage of (the resolution), which would undermine a fundamental part of the nation’s Open Internet and innovation strategy. The United States leads the world in the development of new Internet-based services and applications. An important element of this leadership is that the open Internet enables entrepreneurs to create new services without fear of undue discrimination by network providers,” the White House said.

The rules would prevent fixed broadband providers from blocking lawful content, applications or services or providing their own video content at a faster speed, for example, than that of a rival.

Wireless providers may not block access to lawful websites or applications that compete directly with their own voice or video telephony services but they could potentially block other applications or services. Fixed broadband providers can also charge consumers according to usage, a metered pricing practice already used by some wireless carriers.

Categories: Articles, Broadband, Policy, Regulation