IP Democracy: Broadband Providers to Launch Net Neutrality Forum

The political fight over net neutrality is kicking into high gear. A raft of groups, companies and coalitions have organized to promote the adoption of net neutrality regulations. Now broadband providers are responding with their own forum for countering these initiatives — netcompetition.org.

With the stated goal of providing “open, rigorous and illuminating” debate on the issue, a group of cable, phone and wireless companies, along with their trade associations, have funded the creation of netcompetition.org, which will launch tomorrow. In a bit of a twist, the companies and associations have recruited (or were recruited by) well-known policy and regulatory analyst Scott Cleland, head of the Precursor Group, to serve as the Chairman of netcompetition.org.

Netcompetition.org promises to “be a useful and substantive e-forum and resource for the latest ideas, positions, documents, comments, and developments on both sides of the debate.” Hmmm….if in fact that’s true, that netcompetition.org will indeed present both sides of the debate, kudos to the cable, phone and wireless industries. Most of the talk in this debate is driven by net neutrality proponents, with almost no one intelligently pointing out the very real dangers of government regulation. Phone companies, when they do discuss the topic, sound mean or silly and cable operators have been relatively silent on the subject.

If, however, netcompetition.org is simply a propaganda portal just like the sites of the pro-net neutrality folks (who at least don’t pretend to be objective), shame on the broadband folks for trying to pull a fast one. Let’s hope netcompetition.org isn’t messing with our minds by claiming to address both sides of the debate and by protecting itself with the reputation of an independent analyst, only to offer one-way views on the subject. We’ll find out tomorrow.

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on May 1, 2006 2:30 PM to IP Democracy