Lobbying

A coalition of groups on Tuesday voiced concerns about language on "network neutrality" in a pending House telecommunications bill. Network neutrality describes the push to prevent dominant telephone and cable firms from charging extra for some high-speed Internet services.

Leaders from FreedomWorks, the George Mason University law school, the Pacific Research Institute, the Progress and Freedom Foundation, Rutledge Capital, and the Technology and Democracy Project objected to that idea in a letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton, R-Texas, and committee ranking Democrat John Dingell.

"We believe the legislation now before the House would add to the regulatory uncertainty surrounding new Internet services and that it could lead to a de facto regulatory regime that would prohibit pro-consumer business practices and distort development of the market," the group leaders wrote.