U.S. Senate Democrats plan bill aiming to restore ‘net neutrality’

WASHINGTON: Two U.S. Senate Democrats active in internet issues are working on a bill to restore landmark “net neutrality” rules that would bar telecommunications companies from blocking or throttling traffic or offering paid fast lanes. Senators Edward Markey and Ron Wyden plan to introduce a bill this summer that would put broadband under the umbrella of a telecommunications service, which means that providers would be subject to stricter Federal Communications Commision (FCC) oversight, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters. Representative Doris Matsui is working on a companion House version.

Markey’s office in a statement said “it is more clear than ever that broadband internet is an essential utility” and the FCC’s “authority should reflect that, so it can fulfill its obligations to the public by reinstating net neutrality rules.”

The Washington Post was first to report the potential bill.