News for and about the Internet2 community

["Lauren Rotman" <>]

EDUCAUSE and Internet2 Commend Senator Wyden Bill to Protect an Open
Internet and Net Neutrality

Bill Seeks to Safeguard Founding Internet Principles to Ensure Continued
U.S. Innovation 

WASHINGTON D.C. - March 2, 2006 - Internet2 and EDUCAUSE today praised
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) for his leading effort to safeguard the founding
Internet principle of "net neutrality" in his recently introduced "Internet
Non-Discrimination Act of 2006."  Wyden's bill takes an informed approach to
protecting the openness of the Internet which will ensure continued U.S.
innovation and leadership in the global Internet economy and allow U.S.
citizens the right to control their own Internet experiences.   

In a letter to Senator Wyden, EDUCAUSE President Brian Hawkins and Internet2
President and CEO Douglas Van Houweling said, "Higher education depends upon
an open Internet to accomplish its mission of promoting educational
opportunity for all Americans. The Internet has become the most valuable
medium for distance learning, scientific research, telemedicine, and many
other educational purposes. Broadband Internet service allows rural students
to take music classes from the best symphony conductors, permits grammar
school students to participate in virtual undersea expeditions, and permits
doctors in remote locations to share X-rays and monitor their patients in
real-time. But the Internet can only serve these goals if it remains open
and available to all users, educators and innovators."

Wyden's bill makes certain that network operators do not act as gatekeepers
by blocking, screening, or discriminating against certain kinds of Internet
traffic or creating segregated Internet highways for their own preferred
services. Internet2's experience in deploying advanced networks that support
high-end broadband services shows that keeping networks open, inexpensive
and simple is better than making them costly, complex, and closed, as many
network operators are now proposing. This bill is an important step toward
guaranteeing that the Internet will remain open and available to all
Americans, keeping in step with the international community. 

EDUCAUSE and Internet2 look forward to working with Senator Wyden and
members of Congress on both sides of the aisle on this issue in the coming
months.

Learn more about the importance of this issue to higher education and the
public at the EDUCAUSE Net Neutrality resource site at:
http://www.educause.edu/netneutrality

About EDUCAUSE
EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher
education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. The
current membership comprises more than 1,900 colleges, universities, and
educational organizations, including 200 corporations, with 15,000 active
members. EDUCAUSE has offices in Boulder, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.
Learn more at www.educause.edu
 
About Internet2(R)
Led by more than 200 U.S. universities working with industry and government,
Internet2 develops and deploys advanced network applications and
technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation of
tomorrow's Internet. Internet2 recreates the partnerships among academia,
industry, and government that helped foster today's Internet in its infancy.
For more information, visit www.internet2.edu. 

MEDIA CONTACTS:                 
Peter DeBlois                   
Director of Communications and Publishing
EDUCAUSE        

303-544-5665

Lauren Rotman
Public Relations Manager
Internet2

202-331-5345