Protect an Open Internet

Government policies should enable the widest possible dissemination of information from a multiplicity of sources over the Internet as the foundation of a democratic society. Moreover, since the value of any network increases as more content is transmitted to more people over its paths, unrestricted Internet access is good economics - stimulating consumer demand for more bandwidth and reducing supplier costs through economies of scale.

Policymakers should adopt the following policies to protect an open Internet:

• Public Disclosure. All broadband providers shall be required to inform consumers of their high speed Internet access speed, price, and usage metrics, and to report to the FCC pricing, average speed. and amount of latency (delay) of actual Internet access service to ensure truth-in-advertising. This information should be publicly available.
• Protect the Public Internet. All broadband Internet access providers should be required to provide open, unrestricted Internet access. At the same time, network providers should be entitled to provide video and other private network services on a proprietary basis.
• "Anti-trust" Enforcement of Discriminatory Behavior. To protect against abuse of market power, the FCC (or another agency such as the FTC) should have the authority to adjudicate on an expedited basis complaints alleging discrimination by broadband providers.
• Cable (or Video) A La Carte. All video providers should be required to provide consumers the option of purchasing content on an individual channel or self-selected tiering basis.