OGF is proud to have testified before the New York City Council Committee on Technology and Government Chaired by Council Member Gale Brewer on Resolution Number 712-A of 2007 on National Network Neutrality Rules. Our testimony supported the addition of non-discrimination and transparency to the Federal Communications Commission’s 2005 Internet Policy Statement to keep the Internet “free and open” best summarized as “any lawful content, any lawful application, any lawful device, any provider,” the codification of these principles and their expansion to include non-wired broadband Internet access providers, and opposed “managed” or “special” services. We also called upon the New York City Council to use its power more proactively to amend current resolutions to require the Mayor and the Franchise and Concession Review Committee to make Network Neutrality and Universal Broadband important parts of any future cable, phone and wireless franchises in New York City.
An excerpt focusing on transparency from our testimony:
“What is ground breaking about [the transparency] principle is the opportunity to codify a concept of accountability to both the end user and the fellow community, in a broad departure from typical accountability that is only to a regulating agency.
As a non-profit dedicated to transparency, accountability and openness, we strongly support these two new principles, which together would scale back behavior that currently threaten a free and open Internet. We also believe the codification of such principles would help to begin an era of transparency, accountability and impart the concept of responsibility of a service provider to the consumer and the larger global community.”
Testimony available in PDF or Audio (MP3).
