Sen. Ron Wyden Introduces Bill to Regulate Data Capping

December 21, 2012 -

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation Thursday that would regulate the use of data caps by internet and mobile service providers. Wyden has been a longtime champion of net neutrality rules and internet freedom. He opposed SOPA, PIPA and other bills that would put rules or regulations on the Internet and has been a strong supporter of the FCC's net neutrality rules.

"Data caps create challenges for consumers and run the risk of undermining innovation in the digital economy if they are imposed bluntly and not designed to truly manage network congestion," Wyden said in an e-mail to Ars Technica.

Wyden's proposal does a number of important things. For starters, it aims to increase the amount and accuracy of information provided to consumers by their providers. His bill would allow the Federal Communications Commission to regulate ISPs' methods for measuring bandwidth usage to make sure the information is accurate and it would require them to provide their customers with real-time tools for tracking their usage and comparing them with the ISP's established caps.

Second, the bill would limit data caps employed by ISPs to "reasonably limit network congestion without unnecessarily restricting Internet use."

But the most ambitious part of the legislation is a network neutrality-style rule that requires that any data cap not be used to "provide preferential treatment of data that is based on the source or content of the data." This would effectively ban the creation of paid "fast lanes."

"Future innovation will undoubtedly require consumers to use more and more data—data caps should not impede this innovation and the jobs it creates," Wyden said. "This bill is intended to help consumers manage their data more effectively and ensure that data caps are used only to serve the legitimate purpose of addressing congestion."

Source: Ars Technica

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Re: Sen. Ron Wyden Introduces Bill to Regulate Data Capping

Submitted by Neo_DrKefka on Sun, 12/23/2012 - 02:34.

I promised myself I would not come back and post due to the censorship of ideas here since the new staff took over (AE took over a couple years back but I've been here for years) but I feel I need to comment on this story. One thing the Democratic Party has been lax about for almost a decade would be companies that have become literal monopolies. I understand most of these CEOs have had a close relationship with the Obama's and high level Democratic officals. The truth hurts when Countrywide which helped cause the housing collapse was giving Obama "special rates" and many CEOs who took a golden parachute happened to go on the Obama Administration's financial advisors. I think people remember the guy at the FCC who got a nice cushie job in the private sector after allowing I believe it was Comcast to get a nice sweet deal and FCC stamp of approval. The Democratic Party has been a watch dog for big corporations for a hundred years. We the people need the Democratic Party to go back to what made them great! Being a watch dog for the people when Greed takes over! I am at my mother in laws house in the ghetto in Chicago spending the night. Comcast wants more money from them but they are literally cutting channels and services? Looking at their line up I feel like I am in Texas watching Time Warner Cable! These big companies which were split up are coming back together creating an unfair playing field. Driving out competition. I would love to get my mother in law set up with RCN but sadly they do not come to this far south on the south east side. Sadly these data caps and this unfair playing field have made the industry stagnate. We know this is all about Comcast and other companies trying to weed out digital media like Netflix because they bring VALUE to an industry that has been eroded by bad service and because competition can't compete we have a sub standard cable system in this country. We need government to step in and force change! Btw this took a while to type on an iPhone Andrew so if you feel the need to edit my post in anyways I am done this time around. Before you came years ago we didn't have this whole we are going to delete or edit out things we do not like if you want it that way why don't you name this site AEpolitics.com ?

Re: Sen. Ron Wyden Introduces Bill to Regulate Data Capping

Submitted by Andrew Eisen on Mon, 12/24/2012 - 16:29.

"I promised myself I would not come back and post due to the censorship of ideas here since the new staff took over (AE took over a couple years back but I've been here for years)... Btw this took a while to type on an iPhone Andrew so if you feel the need to edit my post in anyways I am done this time around. Before you came years ago we didn't have this whole we are going to delete or edit out things we do not like if you want it that way why don't you name this site AEpolitics.com ?"

Do stop lying about that. It's quite unseemly.

We have a comments policy. You continually posted off-topic and frequently made baseless, insulting accusations about GamePolitics. Of course I edited/removed many of your posts. What the hell did you expect?

Also, I did not take over the site.

"Close my account, thanks"

As I said back in March: "That's not how it works. If you don't want to post here, don't post here. If you change your mind, feel free to come on back."

Andrew Eisen

Treasure bin: Cult Hits, chea pass gaming options, and rants about gaming in general

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