Stimulus Update: Content Filtering Out, Openness Language In.

By Alex Curtis on February 12, 2009 - 3:04pm

Not much to write beyond the title of this post, but here’s a glimpse at the broadband provision of the final stimulus package bill.

Thanks for sharing. The

Submitted by DB on February 12, 2009 - 6:27pm.

Thanks for sharing. The level of transparency on this compromise has been abysmal.

Do you have a sense whether “non-discrimination and network interconnection” will go beyond net neutrality to include open services and open networks (such as wholesale access)?

And there is also a

Submitted by Wyatt Ditzler on February 12, 2009 - 6:29pm.

And there is also a provision for a broadband map, again.

Looks as if there’s a

Submitted by ISP on February 12, 2009 - 10:16pm.

Looks as if there’s a “poison pill” in there which will discourage ISPs from participating in the program. The FCC’s ill advised, untested “four principles,” which have never been subjected to public review or comment, should certainly never become law.

As you may know, the

Submitted by CraigJ on February 17, 2009 - 12:07pm.

As you may know, the provision has been changed. Sec. 201(8) in the Public Print states:

“(8) Concurrent with the issuance of the Request for Proposal for grant applications pursuant to this section, the Assistant Secretary shall, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, publish the non-discrimination and network interconnection obligations that shall be contractual conditions of grants awarded under this section.”

The language (below) referring to the Commision’s broadband policy statement has been struck

“…including, at 16 a minimum, adherence to the principles contained in the 17 Commission’s broadband policy statement (FCC 05-15, 18 adopted August 5, 2005).”

This assigns to the NTIA and FCC the task of “publishing the non-discrimination and network interconnection obligations.”

This is probably a good thing, as we expect that Genachowski and whoever is NTIA chief understand and are sympathetic to open access issues.

But… who knows?

Actually, the language about

Submitted by Art Brodsky on February 20, 2009 - 11:36am.

Actually, the language about the FCC policy statement is still in there. See page 562 of the conference report, or just search on “broadband policy statement” if your pagination varies.