Net Neutrality
• Internet Providers Ponder Bandwidth Limits For Heavy Users
• Comcast, Cox Caught Blocking BitTorrent
• Will Antitrust Law Save Net Neutrality?
• Few Are Neutral in Net Neutrality Battles
• Net Neutrality Supporters Testify
• Comcast Blocks Public From FCC Hearing
• Congress Gets Net Neutrality Legislation
• Time Warner To Test Metered Pricing For Broadband
• House Committee To Probe FCC
• FCC To Investigate Comcast For Blocking Net Traffic
• Verizon Wireless Opens Network to All Devices, Software
• Comcast Sued Over Internet Blocking
• Verizon Overrides Internet Searches With Its Own Results
• Comcast Blocks Subscribers From Some Services
• Verizon`s Abortion Block Raises Net Neutrality Concerns
• FTC Nixes Net Neutrality
• Wireless Spectrum May Hold Key To Net Neutrality
• Telcos Lift Block On FreeConference.Com
• FCC Takes Another Look at Net Neutrality
• AT&T Blocks Calls To Competing Conference Call Service
• Study: Ending Net Neutrality Would Hurt Consumers
• FCC, FTC Challenged To Protect Net Neutrality
• Net Neutrality Back on Congress` Agenda
• Net Neutrality Opponents Step Up PR Blitz
• AT&T Trumpets New TV Service
• Verizon Joins BellSouth in Retreat From Unexplained New DSL Fee
• FCC Nudges BellSouth Into Giving Up New DSL Fees
• FTC Head Urges "Caution" On Net Neutrality
• Net Neutrality May Derail Telecom Bill
• Google: No Net Neutrality Means Antitrust Fight
• Senate Prepares for Net Neutrality Showdown
• Congress Moves Quickly To Satisfy Telecoms` Net Neutrality, Cable Entry Demands
• Net Neutrality Gets Its Day In Congress
• Net Neutrality Wins Committee Vote In Congress
• Net Neutrality Attracts Surprising Allies
• Congress Wrestles with Net Neutrality
Even as Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Kevin Martin was promising that his agency would investigate Comcast on charges of blocking Internet access, the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced its own plans to investigate the FCC`s legislative rulemaking and rulings of late.
Committee chairman John Dingell (D-MI) and ranking minority member Joe Barton (R-TX) sent a letter to the commission on January 8th, informing Martin that the committee would be investigating FCC regulatory procedures "to determine if they are being conducted in a fair, open, efficient, and transparent manner."
Dingell also advised Martin to retain all e-mails and correspondence relating to official FCC business.
"To be clear, no such records shall be destroyed, modified, altered, deleted, removed, relocated, or otherwise negligently or intentionally handled so as to make them inaccessible to the committee," Dingell said.
The investigation comes on the heels of a previous inquiry by the committee regarding what Dingell called "a breakdown of proper procedure at the FCC." The inquiry was sent in regards to the FCC`s Dec. 18th vote on relaxing restrictions on media consolidation in individual markets.
Consumer advocates, media watchdogs, and even several of Martin`s fellow commissioners criticized him for rushing the vote, limiting public discussion and comment, and scheduling meetings with little notice or warning.
The speed with which Martin pushed to pass the vote led members of the Senate to introduce legislation specifically to block the new rules until more examination of their effects could be made.
Dingell had previously called all five FCC commissioners to testify before his committee for pushing video franchising legislation that enabled telecom companies to enter into new agreements with cities and municipalities much faster than cable companies could.
Dingell, along with fellow committee members Ed Markey (D-MA) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), criticized the FCC and Martin in particular for overstepping their bounds and being out of touch with the public.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported in October 2007 that the FCC not only provided business interests and lobby groups special access to its rulings prior to their being made public, but that those rulings were often based on data provided by the very same interests and groups.
Martin defended the agency`s rule-making procedures as "very similar to how the commission has been managed under previous Republican and Democratic commissioners and chairmen."
"I was actually at the commission as a staffer when there were Democratic commissioners and a Democratic chairman, and we run the processes in the same way they were run at the time," said Martin.
