Industry reaction was swift and positive to the House Energy
& Commerce Committee's passage of a resolution championing the currentmultistakeholder model of Internet governance.
"We applaud the House Energy & Commerce Committee for
approving this important resolution which sends a strong and clear message that
the United Nations and International Telecommunications Union should cease its
efforts to assert and impose unprecedented governmental regulation over the
Internet," said the National Cable & Telecommunications Association in
a statement. "As history demonstrates, the success of the Internet is firmly
rooted in its current multistakeholder governance model which incents private
investment, consciously avoids government controls, and yields innovative new
ways of increasing consumer welfare around the globe. We especially applaud the
bipartisan leadership of Chairmen Bono Mack, Upton, and Walden and Ranking
Members Waxman and Eshoo for their efforts to introduce and guide this
resolution through the Committee. We are hopeful the resolution will be soon
considered by the full House."
CTIA: The Wireless Association CEO Steve Largent was on the
same page. "Today's bipartisan vote sends a strong signal that a hands-off
policy, with respect to the Internet, is the right way to encourage the sort of
investment and innovation that is the hallmark of the U.S. wireless
ecosystem," said Largent. "CTIA commends Representative [Mary] Bono
Mack [lead sponsor of the resolution] and the leadership of the Energy and
Commerce Committee for coming together to advance this strong statement in favor
of a free, unfettered Internet. We hope that policymakers here and abroad rally
to the notion that the way to advance broadband access and deployment, and the
political and economic freedoms broadband can support and advance, is by
keeping the heavy-hand of government off of the Internet."
