From the Office of Utah Congressman Jim Matheson

MATHESON NEWS
Second Congressional District

For Further Information
Alyson Heyrend: (801) 455-5593 (cell)
www.house.gov/matheson

June 08, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Matheson Supports Open Internet

Wants Content Providers Treated Equally

Washington DC—Congressman Jim Matheson today supported the so-called “net neutrality” amendment to a telecommunications bill to ensure that similar types of Internet content will be treated alike. The amendment vote was part of the debate over HR 5252—the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act (COPE) of 2006.

“A great aspect of the Internet is that it is open to everybody—regardless of the size of an individual or an organization’s bankroll. A free and open playing field for any content provider from across the economic, political and information spectrum is a good thing for our economy and for our democracy,” said Matheson.

Matheson noted that a grass-roots coalition of more than 700 groups—including Consumers Union, the National Rifle Association, the American Library Association, the Parents Television Council, and AARP—backs the amendment. Many hi-tech firms such as Ebay and Google also support net neutrality.

Content providers are concerned that telephone and cable companies who control the nation’s broadband network would create different levels of online service and would sell access to the “high-speed lane” to the highest bidders, putting individuals, nonprofits and small businesses at a disadvantage. A Supreme Court ruling and a related decision last year by the Federal Communications Commission to eliminate the rules that kept cable and phone companies from discriminating against content providers prompted this amendment.

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Alyson Heyrend
Communications Director
240 East Morris Ave. #235
South Salt Lake, UT 84115
(801) 486-1236 (phone)
(801) 455-5593 (cell)
(801) 486-1417 (fax)