CAGW to FCC: No to Net Neutrality
Citizens Against Government Waste today released the text of a letter it sent to FCC Robert M. McDowell on June 5, urging him and his fellow commissioners not to include net neutrality in a National Broadband Plan.
"Net neutrality can generally be defined as a system that would allow Internet users to access any information on the Web regardless of the content without restrictions or limitations imposed by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The Internet has flourished and grown to become an integral part of today’s economy because the government, for the most part, has resisted regulation. Future growth and prosperity of the Internet will be accomplished with less, rather than more government intervention."
"One adverse consequence of network neutrality would be chilling effect on innovation and encourage illegal activity. For example, a company would have few incentives to spend money to upgrade and expand their system if there were minuscule rewards or returns on their investment. Without the ability to make judgments and manage their networks, ISPs would have no power to stop the transmission of illegal content.
"Perhaps the most damaging aspect of net neutrality is the potential cost to taxpayers. In order to regulate the Internet to assure that everyone is receiving equal access to information on the Web, the federal government will inevitably need to create an office of monitors to make sure that ISPs are not denying anyone or controlling access to certain Web pages. The cost to taxpayers could skyrocket into the tens of millions of dollars."
