For Immediate Release
October 24, 2006
Public Knowledge Endorses Strong Net Neutrality in AT&T Takeover
Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge, said that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should require strong Net Neutrality conditions for AT&T's $80 billion takeover of BellSouth.
“Public Knowledge is proud to support the comments filed by the It's Our Net coalition in favor of Net Neutrality,” Sohn said. “We fully agree with the proposal in the comments that the Commission should establish an enforceable principle in the merger agreement that requires the newer, larger AT&T to commit to treating in a nondiscriminatory manner all Internet traffic carried by its broadband network. Such a condition in this proceeding will go a long way to establishing Net Neutrality as the foundation for a larger broadband policy.
“The Net Neutrality conditions suggested by the Commission for the merger are totally inadequate. As Public Knowledge has consistently maintained, the essence of Net Neutrality is non-discrimination. The Commission should insist on binding non-discrimination language as a condition of this $80 billion merger, and as a policy to be followed generally.”
A copy of the comments can be found here:
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.