For Immediate Release
Background: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-Tex.) today released a comprehensive draft of telecommunications legislation.
The following statement is attributed to Gigi B. Sohn, president of Public Knowledge:
“Chairman Barton has circulated a very thoughtful draft that is correctly focused on the future of our telecommunications network. While we are still studying the 77-page document, we are pleased to see many the pro-competitive features of the draft. We were very pleased to see that Chairman Barton recognized the need for preserving the model of an open broadband network by codifying the duty of broadband providers to allow subscribers to have access to the services, equipment and applications they need without interference from network providers and by requiring the interconnection of traffic.
“We were further heartened by the loosening of franchise requirements on new broadband video providers and by the recognition of the role of municipalities in providing broadband service. We look forward to working with Chairman Barton, the committee and staff as this work proceeds to enhance the competition consumers have a right to expect.”
The draft bill is available at our web site at: http://www.publicknowledge.org/pdf/20050915-telecom-bill-house-discussion-draft.pdf.
PK's paper on open broadband principles is here:
http://www.publicknowledge.org/content/papers/open-broadband-future.
Public Knowledge is a public-interest advocacy and education organization that seeks to promote a balanced approach to intellectual property law and technology policy that reflects the “cultural bargain” intended by the framers of the constitution. More information available at: http://www.publicknowledge.org
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.