Congress should give the FCC specific authority over broadband to keep traffic flowing freely.A federal appeals court reined in the Federal Communications Commission this week, ruling that it overstepped its authority when it penalized Comcast for surreptitiously disabling a popular technology that let people share files online. But the ruling did not quell the commission’s interest in regulating the way Internet service providers such as Comcast manage their networks. Instead, it set up a potential fight over whether the commission’s regulatory authority should be expanded, either by Congress or the commission itself. We think the best course is for lawmakers to give the FCC clear but limited power to preserve the openness that has made the Internet not just a hotbed for innovation but also the most important communications medium of our time.At issue is “net neutrality,” which is the idea that companies selling high-speed Internet connections should treat all legal websites and online offerings equally. These companies take an essentially neutral approach today, discriminating only against malicious content and spam. But with their customers sending and receiving increasing amounts of data, Internet service providers warn that they won’t be able to keep pace with the demand for bandwidth unless they can generate more revenue — possibly by letting online companies pay extra to make their sites and services more accessible than their competitors’ (the so-called Internet “fast lane”). Such a shift could help well-financed companies with established audiences cement their advantage over smaller and newer contenders.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-neutral9-2010apr09,0,1445436.story