PK'Strikes Back' at Net NeutralityReg Critics

Public Knowledge has designated Feb. 17 as "Internet Strikes Back" day.

That comes as House Republicans take aim at net neutrality via a pair of Hill hearings this week.

PK, which backs the FCC's expansion and codification of network neutrality rules, said it chose the date because it was one day after the House Energy & Commerce Committee will hold its hearing on rolling back the regs. E&C Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) have pledged to invalidate the FCC's Dec. 21 vote to adopt the new regs.

A separate hearing on the antitrust implications of the net neutrality rules is slated for Feb. 15 in the House Judiciary Committee.

PK wants folks to contact their members of Congress to oppose any legislative move to undo the rules, and will distribute action alerts and a downloadable "Internet Strikes Back" Web site logo at  www.theinterstrikesback.org.

"The Internet's been free and clear since it's inception," said Seton Motley, founder of Less Government and no fan of the net neutrality regs. "Until December 21st, when the FCC 'freed' the Web by regulating it - in power grab fashion. The Internet needs to strike back - against those who seek to shutter the free speech, free market Xanadu the government-free Web has become."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.