nov10b.indd


November 2010  561 C&RL News

1. The relationship between open Internet 

protections and services that are provided over the 

same last-mile facilities as broadband Internet access 

service (commonly called “managed” or “special-

ized” services), and 

2. The application of open Internet rules to 

mobile wireless Internet access services, which 

have unique characteristics related to technology, 

associated application and device markets, and 

consumer usage. 

Our comments underscored our agreement with 

concerns FCC raised in its public notice surrounding 

the treatment of “specialized services.” While the li-

brary, higher education, and academic and research 

library communities support the development of 

innovative technology and private investment in 

networks, we believe that an overly broad exemp-

tion for specialized services may enable commercial 

ISPs to use such services to undermine the robust 

application of network neutrality rules, including 

nondiscrimination and transparency. 

At the same time, we suggested that private 

networks, which are used for internal purposes 

and do not serve the general public, should remain 

free of traditional telecommunications regulation. 

The comments emphasized that FCC must 

ensure that any policy approach that encourages 

investment in specialized services does not inad-

vertently limit investment in broadband Internet 

access service. 

They also stated that public and school libraries, 

academic and research libraries, and colleges and 

universities are developing new advanced mobile 

applications to enhance access to research and 

information from wireless devices. ARL, ALA, and 

EDUCAUSE asked FCC to apply net neutrality to 

mobile and other wireless services to ensure that the 

Internet remains open for users of these increasingly 

popular technologies.

As the net neutrality debate continues at both 

FCC and in Congress, ALA will continue its work 

to support the adoption of net neutrality principles 

while stressing that libraries, librarians, and those 

we serve rely on a fast, reliable, and open Internet.

For additional information, see the May 2010 

C&RL News “Washington Hotline.” 
Jenni Terry is press officer at ALA’s Washington Office, 
e-mail: jterry@alawash.org

W a s h i n g t o n  H o t l i n eJenni Terry

Network neutrality (or “net” neutrality) is a telecom-

munications issue to which the Federal Communi-

cations Commission (FCC), Congress, and even the 

executive branch, attempt to stake a claim. So it is 

no surprise that despite a lot of talk and a little ac-

tion, no resolution is in sight.

As a strong proponent of net neutrality, ALA is 

involved in this issue on two fronts—at FCC and on the 

Hill lobbying Congress, as both arenas have the po-

tential to shape the outcome of net neutrality policies.

The million-dollar question: What is net neu-

trality?

Simply put, net neutrality is the concept of online 

nondiscrimination. It is the principle that consumers/

general public should be free to get access to—or 

to provide—the Internet content and services they 

wish, and that access should not be regulated based 

on the nature or source of the content or service. 

Information providers—which may be Web sites, 

online services, etc., and who may be affiliated with 

traditional commercial enterprises but who also may 

be individual citizens, libraries, schools, or nonprofit 

entities—should have essentially the same quality 

of access to distribute their offerings. 

“Pipe” owners (Internet service providers or 

ISPs) should not be allowed to charge some indi-

viduals more money for the same pipes, or establish 

exclusive deals that relegate everyone else to an 

Internet “slow lane.” This principle should hold true 

even when an ISP is providing Internet service to 

a competitor. Without net neutrality, entertainment 

content could be routed on the “fast lane,” while 

education content could be directed to the slow 

lane—all unbeknownst to the users. 

Recent federal action
In October, ALA seized an opportunity to once again 

engage in FCC’s work on net neutrality. ALA, along 

with the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and 

EDUCAUSE, filed comments (available at www.

wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=5363) to the FCC in 

response to their request for comments on the fol-

lowing two issues: