Library, Higher Education Groups Call on FCC to Adopt Net Neutrality Principles

[Source: Association of Research Libraries; March 1, 2010]

WASHINGTON DC—Eleven library and higher education-related institutions and organizations today sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski in support of preserving an open Internet.

The groups assert that the Internet faces major threats as a result of deregulation.  Internet service providers (ISPs) have strong incentives to degrade certain Internet services, and new technologies increasingly allow them to control Internet traffic without end-user knowledge.  Simple, flexible policies are necessary to safeguard the open nature of the Internet and to protect the free flow of information and educational content, according to the letter.

The letter’s signatories urge the adoption of Internet (Net) neutrality principles, including non-discrimination and transparency, while allowing for reasonable practices to manage technical issues such as congestion and spam.  These principles would give ISPs simple ground rules and guarantee that private network operators and end users remain free to use Internet access as they see fit.

The following organizations signed the letter: the American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education, American Association of Community Colleges, American Council on Education, Association of American Universities, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, EDUCAUSE, Internet2, and the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

To view the letter, please visit http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/ed-library-nn-principles-letter.pdf.