Under normal circumstances, U.S. Senators don't file comments in proceedings at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). And filing reply comments is unheard of.
But Net Neutrality champions Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) did just that. You can read their submission here.
In their letter to the FCC filed in the Notice of Inquiry on broadband industry practices, the Senators said they would have preferred the Commission to have “taken the more concrete step” of actually proposing a rule, to protect a free and open Internet, rather than conduct the inquiry.
The senators added that while Congress continues to debate the issue, “we urge the Commission to take affirmative action to reinstate the rules that enabled the Internet to flourish.”
It's nice to know that key policymakers are still on top of this very important issue. The senators should be commended for making certain that the FCC keeps the welfare of Internet users in mind as it considers how to keep large carriers happy.