Internet Freedom, Broadband Promotion, and Consumer Protection Act of 2011
Latest action · Jan 25, 2011 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S183-185)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 25, 2011
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Internet Freedom, Broadband Promotion, and Consumer Protection Act of 2011 - Amends title II (Common Carriers) of the Communications Act of 1934 to add the following provisions (commonly referred to as net neutrality provisions) prohibiting a broadband Internet access service provider (B-IASP) from unreasonably: (1) interfering with an end user's ability to use or offer lawful content (including fair use), applications, or services (CASs), or to use or connect to harmless legal devices; (2) interfering with competition among network or CAS providers; (3) discriminating against lawful CASs, or service providers, or preferring affiliated CASs, as specified; (4) charging for access to end users based on differing levels of quality of service (QOS) or prioritized delivery of Internet protocol (IP) packets (pay-for-priority); (5) prioritizing among or between CASs unless requested by the end user; (6) installing functions or capabilities that interfere with compliance; and (7) refusing to interconnect on reasonable terms and conditions.
Defines a B-IASP as a person or entity that operates or resells and controls any facility used to provide an Internet access service directly to the public, whether provided for a fee or for free, and whether provided via wire or radio, except when such service is offered as an incidental component of a noncommunications contractual relationship.
Prohibits B-IASPs from requiring end users to purchase other specified services as a condition of purchasing broadband Internet access service.
Requires B-IASPs that allow end users to request QOS assurances for the transmission of IP packets associated with its own (or its affiliates) CASs to permit QOS assurances for all IP packets chosen by the end user, without regard to the chosen CASs. Prohibits QOS assurances from blocking, interfering with, or degrading any other end user's access to CASs.
Allows B-IASPs to engage in reasonable network management practices determined by specified factors. Prohibits a B-IASP's practices from being considered reasonable if it charges content, applications, or other online service providers for differing QOS levels or prioritized delivery of IP packets. Permits B-IASPs to offer interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and multichannel-video programming distribution services regulated under title IV of the Act on transmission capacity also used by broadband Internet access services.
Sets forth requirements for: (1) public disclosure; (2) participation in any broadband universal service fund established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); and (3) FCC enforcement, private claims, and state actions.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jan 25, 2011.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Al Franken | Original | Jan 25, 2011 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 25, 2011Introduced in Senate
- Jan 25, 2011Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S183-185)
- Jan 25, 2011Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S181-183)
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.