House of Representatives includes mandate for open broadband networks in federal economic stimulus plan

--- On Thu, 1/29/09, Jim Bemis wrote:

> From: Jim Bemis
> Subject: house pass broadband
> To: nputjim@sbcglobal.net
> Date: Thursday, January 29, 2009, 1:47 PM
> The $819 billion stimulus plan passed by the U.S. House of
> Representatives Wednesday includes a mandate that companies
> receiving funds to build new broadband networks adhere to
> openness conditions.
>
>
> The bill includes $6 billion for new wired and wireless
> broadband networks. The Senate Appropriations
> Committee's version of the bill, made public Wednesday,
> includes the mandate that networks built with funds adhere
> to non-discrimination and network interconnection mandates.
>
> Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press, praised lawmakers
> in a statement. "We applaud the House for adopting
> legislation that recognizes the crucial role broadband will
> play in revitalizing our economy," he said. "The
> openness conditions passed by the House and included in the
> Senate bill are a positive step forward and signal that
> Congress is committed to promoting the open
> Internet."--Wendy Davis