Republican senators call net neutrality rules "counterproductive"

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski received another letter today from members of Congress urging him to be cautious with his net neutrality proposals and gain bipartisan support within the agency.

Republican Senators Sam Brownback (Kan.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), John McCain (Ariz.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), and 14 others, reminded Genachowski that the broadband industry continues to grow despite the down economy and that Internet service providers are investing more in broadband network than the federal government invests in transportation infrastructure.

"When the government picks winners and losers in the marketplace, the incentive to invest disappears," the letter said.

Genachowski has received a steady stream of letters from lawmakers since announcing plans to put in place regulations that would prohibit broadband network operators from giving preferential treatment to any type of content, traffic or service on the Internet. Last week, 20 Republican members of the House sent him a letter telling him not to regulate broadband networks unless the FCC could prove the market cannot function without net neutrality rules.

In the letter sent today, senators said they are concerned net neutrality proposals will be "counterproductive," and that the proposal "seems to emanate from a fear that there may be some problems related to openness in future." But they pointed out that the he only mentioned two relevant disputes when announcing his plans, one of which happened five years ago.

This letter is different from the others sent to Genachowski in that it is the only one that has urged him to obtain bipartisan support within the agency.

"Such a major policy shift should be contemplated with only all of the FCC Commissioners involved," it said. "To do it with just one party reduces the confidence the public and Congress has in the proposal."

---