Telecom Bill Undermines the Internet

Legislation Hurts Research and Education Community’s Ability to Innovate and Offer Academic Resources To the Public

Washington, D.C, June 9, 2006—Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed "The Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006," which, if enacted, will have the effect of rewriting U.S. telecommunications law without any protection for network neutrality. In doing so, the bill undermines the very principles that have made the Internet such a valuable tool for education, commerce, and entertainment.

According to EDUCAUSE and Internet2, yesterday's vote against "net neutrality" is a huge setback for college students, faculty, and research across the country. The House bill would give the large telephone and cable companies the right to block or degrade Internet traffic as they choose. This legislation recognizes these companies' right to operate broadband networks to serve their own purposes, not those of the general public.

Higher education in partnership with government and industry designed the Internet over 30 years ago to operate over an open platform accessible by every American. Colleges and universities engage in distance learning over the Internet to reach off-campus students, provide tele-health coverage to rural areas of the country, and engage in high-end research on new Internet-based technologies and applications. All of these activities are undermined by the COPE Act, with no chance of benefiting the general public, unless the operators of broadband networks are required to maintain an open and interconnected Internet supporting the free flow of information.

EDUCAUSE and Internet2 look forward to working with the Senate as it considers bipartisan pro-network neutrality legislation. The recently introduced "Internet Freedom Preservation Act" ensures that the Internet will remain a thriving and open marketplace where consumers, educators, and entrepreneurs have the same opportunities for success, enabling the public to control their own Internet experiences as they see fit.

Learn more about the importance of this issue to higher education and the public at the EDUCAUSE Net Neutrality resource site at http://www.educause.edu/netneutrality.

About EDUCAUSE

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. The current membership comprises more than 2,200 colleges, universities, and educational organizations, including 250 corporations, with 17,000 active members. Learn more about EDUCAUSE at www.educause.edu.

About Internet2

Led by more than 200 U.S. universities working with industry and government, Internet2 develops and deploys advanced network applications and technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet. Internet2 recreates the partnerships among academia, industry, and government that helped foster today’s Internet in its infancy. For more information, visit www.internet2.edu.