PORTLAND—Sen.
Ron Wyden today joined large and small business owners, labor leaders
and consumer advocates in calling on Congress to protect Network
Neutrality -- the endangered principle that ensures all Web sites and
services are treated equally.
"The
powerful interests that control the pipes are trying to take control of
the Internet away from their consumers by creating discriminatory
networks that play favorites," said Senator Wyden, the first member of
Congress to introduce legislation protecting Net Neutrality. "Over the
past decade, Oregon businesses, consumers, and political activists have
come to rely on the Internet as a free and open forum to buy, sell or
simply exchange ideas. We can't afford to let discrimination rule the
Internet, which is why I'll continue fighting to ensure Net Neutrality."
The
press conference took place at Powell’s Books in Portland, where Wyden
was greeted by local business owners, representatives of Google, Yahoo!
and E-Bay, the Oregon Alliance to Reform Media, and local members of
the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, who delivered more than 20,000
petitions from Oregon residents supporting Net Neutrality.
"For
35 years, Powell's Books has prided itself on keeping ideas in
circulation, providing our community with access to the wealth of
information on our shelves," said Michael Powell, the store's longtime
owner. "Net Neutrality seeks to maintain that same freedom of access
online, now and in the future."
Big
telephone and cable companies like AT&T, Qwest and Comcast have
spent millions lobbying Congress to eliminate Net Neutrality, the
longstanding principle that prevents Internet service providers from
discriminating against content or services traveling over their wires
based on which companies pay them the most.
"Our
Web site hosting customers are often the entrepreneurs and
businesspeople whose innovative applications make the Internet the
thriving environment it is," said Rich Bader, president and CEO of
Oregon's EasyStreet Online Services. "They are dependent on unfettered
access to all Internet users. It is essential, especially in this time
of consolidation of Internet Service Providers and telecommunications
firms, that Congress enact legislation ensuring Net Neutrality remains
a cornerstone of our Internet in the future."
Congress
is now considering a major overhaul of the nation's telecommunications
laws (H.R. 5252) that fails to protect Net Neutrality. Senator Wyden
has placed a hold on this legislation until clear language is included
in the bill to protect Net Neutrality. He is also a co-sponsor of a
bipartisan Net Neutrality measure offered this spring by Sens. Olympia
Snowe (R-Maine) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.).
“The
key to the Internet's growth and success has been its inherent openness
and freedom,” said Alan Davidson of Google. “Senator Wyden has been
among the strongest voices fighting to protect the freedom of Internet
users. We applaud his efforts to preserve Network Neutrality and to
make sure any Internet content can be accessed free of restrictions.”
Net
Neutrality is supported by a diverse, growing coalition of big and
small businesses, unions, educators, thousands of bloggers and every
major consumer group in the country. More than 750 organizations from
across the political spectrum have come together as the
SavetheInternet.com Coalition, including Free Press, U.S. PIRG, the
Christian Coalition, MoveOn, Consumers Union, Gun Owners of America,
ACLU and the American Library Association. SavetheInternet.com has
collected more than 1.2 million petition signatures nationwide.
“In
Oregon, as elsewhere, the advance of media consolidation has virtually
forced independent musicians and artists into the Internet-driven
marketing technologies,” said Bruce Fife, member of the American
Federation of Musicians, Local 99 and Oregon Alliance to Reform Media.
“If a few corporations are allowed to control access and delivery of
information over the internet, independent voices won't be able to
reach a wide audience.”
"If
the big phone and cable companies succeed in taking over the Internet,"
added Laura Etherton of OSPIRG, "content from public interest
organizations, small companies, political movements, independent
artists, filmmakers and musicians would be relegated to traveling on
slower lanes. The Internet should work for everyone, not just for the
big telephone and cable companies. As the debate continues, we urge
Congress to listen to the public and preserve Net Neutrality."
