Waxman reiterates net neutrality support

House Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman used today's hearing on distracted driving as an excuse to reiterate his support for net neutrality regulations.

"This is the first time I have seen you since the FCC's release of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Preserving the Open Internet," he said in his opening remarks. "I want to take this opportunity to compliment you on the process you are using for this rulemaking and for your commitment to data-driven decision-making. As you know, I am a proponent of strong net neutrality rules, and I believe we are going to get a better rule as the result of your open and thoughtful approach."

Back to the issue of the day, he said the distracted driving issue requires an "all-hands-on-the-steering-wheel approach." He also wondered whether using hands-free technology is really less distracting than handling the cellphones directly.

A quick read of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's testimony indicate that the agency intends to look into informing drivers about the dangers of distracted driving via outreach efforts similar to those used to educate viewers about the DTV transition earlier this year. (And we all know how well those efforts--the early efforts, at least--worked out.)