Net Neutrality: Background and Issues Page: 1 of 5
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Order Code RS22444
Updated March 13, 2007
~. CRS Report for Congress
Net Neutrality: Background and Issues
Angele A. Gilroy
Specialist in Telecommunications
Resources, Science, and Industry
Summary
As Congressional policymakers continue to debate telecommunications reform, a
major point of contention is the question of whether action is needed to ensure
unfettered access to the Internet. The move to place restrictions on the owners of the
networks that compose and provide access to the Internet, to ensure equal access and
non- discriminatory treatment, is referred to as "net neutrality." There is no single
accepted definition of "net neutrality." However, most agree that any such definition
should include the general principles that owners of the networks that compose and
provide access to the Internet should not control how consumers lawfully use that
network; and should not be able to discriminate against content provider access to that
network. Concern over whether it is necessary to take steps to ensure access to the
Internet for content, services, and applications providers, as well as consumers, and if
so, what these should be, is a major focus in the debate over telecommunications reform.
Some policymakers contend that more specific regulatory guidelines may be necessary
to protect the marketplace from potential abuses which could threaten the net neutrality
concept. Others contend that existing laws and FCC policies are sufficient to deal with
potential anti-competitive behavior and that such regulations would have negative
effects on the expansion and future development of the Internet. The issue of "net
neutrality" is expected to remain in the forefront as the 110th Congress continues its
debate over telecommunications reform. Net neutrality is listed among the topics "to
be explored" by the House Telecommunications Subcommittee and stand-alone net
neutrality legislation (S. 215) has been introduced in the Senate. For information on
legislative activity see CRS Report RL33542, Broadband Internet Regulation and
Access: Background and Issues, by Angele A. Gilroy and Lennard G. Kruger. This
report will be updated as events warrant.
Network Neutrality
As Congressional policymakers continue to debate telecommunications reform, a
major point of contention is the question of whether action is needed to ensure unfettered
access to the Internet. The move to place restrictions on the owners of the networks that
compose and provide access to the Internet, to ensure equal access and non-discriminatory
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Net Neutrality: Background and Issues, report, March 13, 2007; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc817230/m1/1/: accessed March 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.