News

WASHINGTON — Last night, Free Press and members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission in response to the federal agency’s inquiry on discriminatory blocking by Comcast and other Internet service providers.

Summary of the legal argument:

WASHINGTON — In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission today, Comcast tried to justify its continued blocking of Internet traffic. Late last year, the Associated Press exposed the nation’s largest cable company for cutting off access to legal file-sharing programs.

WASHINGTON — Members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition voiced strong support for the bipartisan “Internet Freedom Preservation Act 2008” (HR 5353) introduced today by Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Chip Pickering (R-Miss.). This landmark bill would protect Net Neutrality and spark a much-needed public conversation about the future of the Internet.

WASHINGTON — Today, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it would hold a public hearing on the future of the Internet on Feb. 25 in Cambridge, Mass.

Free Press Campaign Director Timothy Karr issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON — On Jan. 25, Comcast quietly revised its “terms of service” to place new restrictions on how its customers can access the Internet. Comcast is currently under investigation by the Federal Communications Commission for blocking its customers’ legal Internet traffic.

WASHINGTON — Today, the Federal Communications Commission released its cross-ownership order passed in a 3-2 party-line vote on Dec. 18. These new rules allow one company to own both a newspaper and a broadcast station in the same media market.

Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON — Bidding in today’s ongoing FCC auction of the “700 MHz” spectrum guarantees that a portion of these valuable public airwaves will be open to all devices and all applications.

Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press, made the following statement:

WASHINGTON — Today, the Bush administration released a report claiming that high-speed Internet access is now available to virtually every American.

WASHINGTON — The Senate is again debating whether to grant retroactive immunity to telephone companies for eavesdropping on American citizens through warrantless wiretaps.

Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON — The start of the Federal Communications Commission’s highly anticipated public airwaves auction today is shining a national spotlight on the persistent lack of competition and innovation in the wireless broadband industry.