CEO Heavyweights Weigh in on House Broadband Bill and net neutrality

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CEO Heavyweights Weigh in on House Broadband Bill and net neutrality

Several CEO heavyweights weigh in on the new pending House broadband bill and how it may affect network neutrality with the following letter... We should all call our Congressman and tell them how we feel about this issue - whether you are for or against it. This issue is too important to ignore and I'm afraid mightly lobbying efforts by the broadband providers could affect the competitive landscape of the Internet and give consumers less choice. I guess you know where I stand on this issue. In any event, here's the letter.

The Honorable Joe Barton
Committee on Energy and Commerce
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.20515

Dear Mr. Chairman:

We write to express our concern that the telecommunications legislation being considered by the Committee fails to preserve the longstanding openness of the Internet.Without critical changes, the legislation puts at risk consumer choice, American innovation and global competitiveness.

Until FCC decisions made last summer, consumers' ability to choose the content and services they want via their broadband connections was assured by regulatory safeguards.Innovators likewise have been able to use their ingenuity and knowledge of the marketplace to develop new and better online offerings.This "innovation without permission" has fueled phenomenal economic growth, productivity gains, and global leadership for our nation's high tech companies.

To preserve this environment, we urge the Committee to include language that directly addresses broadband network operators' ability to manipulate what consumers will see and do online.It is equally important to pass a bill that fleshes out these consumer freedoms via rules of the road that are both meaningful and readily enforceable.

We look forward to continuing to work with you and other Members of the Committee to protect millions of Americans' legitimate expectations in an open Internet, as well as the innovation and competitiveness that it creates.

Sincerely,
/s/ Jeff Bezos
Founder and CEO
Amazon.com

/s/ Meg Whitman
President and CEO
eBay Inc.

/s/ Eric Schmidt
Chief Executive Officer
Google Inc.

/s/ Barry Diller
Chairman and CEO
IAC/InterActiveCorp

/s/Steve Ballmer
Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft Corp.

/s/ Terry Semel
Chief Executive Officer
Yahoo!

Cc:Members of the Energy & Commerce Committee




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