John Kerry
U.S. Senator for Massachusetts

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Kerry, Dorgan, Wyden Urge FCC to Act This Year on Open Internet

CONTACT: DC Press Office, (202) 224-4159   

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to chart a path to guarantee network neutrality by the end of this year.

The Senators – all long time advocates of Network Neutrality – wrote a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski supporting his effort to conclude the FCC’s Open Internet proceeding in December. This proceeding will determine the FCC’s proper role in maintaining Network Neutrality. 

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Chairman Genachowski:
 
We are writing to urge you to bring the Open Internet rulemaking to conclusion in December. Heading into 2011, the Commission can provide the certainty necessary for policymakers, consumers, investors, and innovators that the Internet will remain an open network, under the watchful eye of the Federal Communications Commission, and that the service will be delivered and managed with full and complete transparency.  Combined, that will make it possible for the agency, advocates, engineers, and the media to police practices that could threaten innovation at the edge of the network.  
 
We recognize that you have led a difficult, inclusive, and often technical debate as matter of both law and engineering on the question of the proper role of the agency and rules in this space.  We have supported that process and support the President’s goal of protecting and preserving an open Internet.  We are also well aware that it is always easier to criticize the policy-making process than it is to make good policy -- and as a result you have taken incoming fire from all sides.  Yet, while time consuming, we think the deliberation and discourse has moved the center of opinion within the community of experts, industry, and advocates to a principled compromise that is sustainable and will work.  We understand that there are some who would have you go further and some that would have you do nothing.  But we believe you are headed toward a principled center and we support that effort.
 
We look forward to working with you.
 
Sincerely, 

John Kerry                              Byron Dorgan                         Ron Wyden

United States Senator             United States Senator             United States Senator

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