Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) yesterday unveiled a bill that would ban telephone companies from charging Web businesses for guaranteed faster delivery of content over their phone lines. The so-called
Internet Nondiscrimination Act of 2006 would prohibit network operators from favoring content, which the bill says would "have a chilling effect on small mom and pop businesses that can't afford the
priority lane, leaving these smaller businesses no hope of competing against the Wal-Marts of the world." Senator Wyden says neutrality in technology "allows folks to start small and dream big." His
bill would prohibit network operators from interfering with, blocking, modifying or diverting Web traffic. It also disallows the creation of a so-called "priority lane" where content providers can buy
quicker access. It also calls for a transparent system in which consumers, Web content and Internet companies all have access to the rates, terms and conditions for service. Wyden's bill is the direct
result of ongoing lobbying on the part of telephone companies like Verizon Communications and AT&T to prevent such legislation.
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