House Republicans Applaud U.S. Stand on WCIT Treaty

U.S. delegation refused to sign over concerns about Internet-related language

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/13/2012 4:41:19 PM

House Energy and Commerce leaders praised the U.S. delegation on Thursday for not signing on to ITU WCIT 12 telecom treaty changes.

That came in a joint statement from House E&C chair Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Communications Subcommittee chair Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.), Lee Terry (R-Neb.), Commerce vice chair Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Communications vice chair Bob Latta (R-Ohio).

"Ambassador Kramer and the U.S. delegation should be commended for their principled stance on behalf of Internet users around the globe," they said. "Despite reservations by many of the member states present and assurances from the International Telecommunications Union that the WCIT would not address regulation of Internet networks and content, it appears that the ITU is poised to do just that."

The Congress came together last week, for once, to approve a joint resolution supporting the multistakeholder model of the Internet, a model the U.S. feared could be threatened if Internet-related language was added to the telecom treaties.

"[I]it appears that the WCIT will adopt a document that would acknowledge a role for the United Nations in Internet governance and take other detrimental steps toward international government control of the Internet," said the legislators. "The United States cannot support such a role and did not support such a role."