Net neutrality high on Obama's agenda

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Net neutrality high on Obama's agenda

By CAROLINE GABRIEL

Published: 26 November, 2008

US president-elect Barack Obama will face radical decisions in most areas of policy, and telecoms is no exception. His key telecoms and media advisers are already being picked, and are likely to push for the biggest shake-up in the sectors for some years. In particular, the pace of progress towards net neutrality and its close cousin open access should accelerate; media consolidation is likely to be curbed; and there will be more dramatic moves to improve bridges across the digital divide, especially in face of the risk of increased poverty levels in parts of the US.

Jay Rockefeller, a long time and outspoken advocate of equal, low cost access to internet and phone services, especially in rural areas, has been appointed to the chair of the powerful Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology. Democrat Senator for West Virginia, he will replace the current chair, fellow Democrat Dan Inouye of Hawaii, who was known for close ties to the telecoms majors.

Rockefeller co-sponsored the network neutrality legislation introduced by Senators Dorgan and Snowe, which gives the FCC the authority to block internet providers from discriminating against certain types of internet traffic that they might see as being in conflict with their own interests.

Dorgan himself will be another important member of the team that will start to wield power in January. A Democrat Senator of North Dakota, Byron Dorgan has been a constant thorn in the side of the media giants with fierce opposition to recent consolidation. He has sponsored legislation to decrease the number of TV stations and newspapers that a corporation can own and aims to look for new and stringent media ownership caps and aims to reintroduce his net neutrality legislation next year, this time with heavy support from the president.