Net Neutrality

Posted by Staff  |  @CorridorNews

NOTE FROM STAFF: The Obama administration has called to enforce the principle of treating all Internet traffic the same way, commonly known as Net neutrality (Link to Wikipedia Definition). The president urged passage of regulations that treat broadband services like utilities, so that ISPs would be unable “to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas.

Gov. Rick Perry today released the following statement following President Obama’s recent decision to push for the reclassification of the Internet as a utility:

“Texas’ strong economy owes a lot to regulatory certainty and major private investments in critical technology infrastructure. President Obama’s call to saddle 21st century technology with outdated, unnecessary regulations from the era of the Great Depression is alarming and will stifle innovation and growth. Instead, we should embrace a business and regulatory climate that encourages competition and empowers consumers with greater choice and access to high-speed Internet and all the business, consumer, education and health care benefits that come with it.”

NOTE: Texas is home to the launch of one gigabit per second high-speed Internet access. That leap forward is directly due to robust competition and widespread consumer demand for faster Internet and new technologies. Private sector development of one gigabit per second high speed internet access could be delayed by the regulatory uncertainty that the President’s ill-conceived plan creates.