OVERNIGHT TECH: House to vote on net neutrality

THURSDAY'S BIG TELECOM STORY I: The House prepares to vote on a measure from Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) that would repeal net neutrality. The White House has already issued a veto threat, and House Dems plan to vote as a near-unanimous block against the measure.

SENATE GOP AIMS FOR SWIFT FOLLOW-THROUGH: From a Senate Commerce aide on the GOP side, "The Senate doesn't have to take it up, but under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) Senate Republicans do plan on bringing it to the floor for a vote just as soon as we can. We have been working with the parliamentarian to discuss timing. All options are on the table for bringing this up in the Senate."

THURSDAY'S BIG TELECOM STORY II: The FCC is scheduled to vote on the contentious issue of data roaming during its monthly meeting Thursday. 

FCC AIMS TO "LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD": An agency official close to the issue said, “The data roaming rule is essential to unlocking potentially billions of dollars of network investment. It will provide competing carriers with the ability to offer seamless nationwide voice and data roaming and enable them to compete on a more level playing field.” 

DATA ROAMING BACKDROP: The question of automatic data roaming pits large wireless carriers against small and midsize providers who want the government to mandate that the big companies reach agreements with them allowing data roaming on their networks. The large companies say they regularly reach such agreements without the need for government regulation. They also say the FCC might not have the authority to create a mandate. 

TEA PARTY HELPS WHIP UP ANTI-NET-NEUTRALITY VOTES: A leading Tea Party group has begun a campaign to get centrist Democrats to help repeal net-neutrality regulations passed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last year. The Tea Party Patriots sent out an email to its members encouraging them to contact more than a dozen lawmakers "who may be swayed to firmly commit to protecting your Internet freedom."

TEA PARTY'S GOT THEIR DIGITS: The targets include Democratic Reps. Jason Altmire (Pa.), Sanford Bishop (Ga.), Leonard Boswell (Iowa), Jim Costa (Calif.), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Tim Holden (Pa.), Rick Larsen (Wash.), Mike McIntryre (N.C.), Jerry McNerny (Calif.), Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), David Scott (Ga.) and Heath Shuler (N.C.). 

BROADCASTERS REACT TO WHITE HOUSE SPECTRUM RALLY: Dennis Wharton, executive VP for communications: "As we've said consistently, NAB does not oppose incentive auctions that are truly voluntary. We would remind our economist friends that broadcasters returned more than a quarter of the spectrum held by TV broadcasters less than two years ago and that those airwaves have yet to be fully deployed."

"BROADCASTING IS EFFICIENT": "Using a 'one-to-everyone' transmission architecture that is remarkably robust and reliable, broadcasters are far and away the most efficient users of spectrum, delivering the highest-quality video programming to 43 million citizens who are exclusively reliant on over-the-air television. Moreover, broadcast programming is provided free to the end user, which constitutes a value to Americans that will never be replicated by cell phone providers whose business model is based on ever-higher monthly charges and fee-based apps."

"DIALOGUE WELCOME": "NAB welcomes an ongoing dialogue with policymakers on how to resolve wireless-carrier capacity challenges without threatening the fabric of an essential American institution: free and local television."

BACKDROP: White House officials laid out an economic case for spectrum auctions on Wednesday, as proponents urged Congress to pass a high-level bill: http://bit.ly/gCm5H4.

Tech industry wary of domain-name seizures: The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) expressed concern Wednesday about government efforts to seize rogue websites in the name of intellectual property enforcement. Michael Petricone, senior vice president for government affairs at CEA, said government seizure of domain names "is a blunt instrument capable of causing significant collateral damage to innocent individuals and businesses. More: http://bit.ly/enWQfM.