Cisco, Qualcomm come out against net neutrality

Some of the largest hardware makers in the world, including 3M, Cisco, Corning and Qualcomm, sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday firmly opposing new laws mandating net neutrality - the concept that broadband providers must never favour some websites or internet services over others.

That view directly conflicts with what many software and internet companies have been saying for the last few months. Led by Amazon.com, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo!, those companies have been spending millions of dollars to lobby for stiff new laws prohibiting broadband providers from rolling out two-tier networks.

The letter, which was signed by 34 companies, said: "It is premature to attempt to enact some sort of network neutrality principles into law now. Legislating in the absence of real understanding of the issue risks both solving the wrong problem and hobbling the rapidly developing new technologies and business models of the internet with rigid, potentially stultifying rules."

The letter even goes so far as to applaud a committee vote in the House of Representatives on 26 April, in which net neutrality proponents - largely Democrats - lost by a wide margin. "We are pleased that the committee rejected attempts to add so-called 'network neutrality' provisions to the bill," it said.

Even though many of the letter's signatories are suppliers to telecommunications companies, it still is likely to help stall efforts to advance net neutrality - which a Democratic senator said last week would be debated in the Senate.

Net neutrality proponents say the legislation approved by the House committee doesn't go far enough to target possible errant behaviour by AT&T, Verizon Communications and other broadband providers, and could try to add amendments during a floor vote. A "Save the Internet" coalition has even been created and boasts members such as the American Library Association, the libertarian-conservative group Gun Owners of America and the left-leaning Moveon.org.

The groups say the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must be given power to regulate broadband providers that might want to do things such as charging content providers extra for the privilege of faster delivery or other preferential treatment.

For their part, major broadband providers have repeatedly pledged not to block traffic or censor websites. Instead, they say, it will only be economically feasible to invest in higher-speed links if some bandwidth can be reserved for paid content. Also, they argue, the FCC has already taken action against violations of net neutrality, so no new laws are necessary.

Declan McCullagh writes for CNET News.com