Senate Panel Approves Telecom Rewrite

The telecommunications debate dominated the tech policy front this week, as the Senate Commerce Committee finished its work on the issue. The panel approved a major overhaul of nearly all sectors of the communications industry on a 15-7 vote.

But the defeat of a so-called network neutrality amendment may bode ill for Senate passage of the bill this year. That amendment was defeated on an 11-11 tie vote after an extensive debate. Olympia Snowe of Maine was the only Republican to vote for the amendment.

Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden went to the Senate floor to announce a procedural "hold" on the legislation because it lacks strong network neutrality language. Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, said he will seek support from 60 senators -- the number needed to prevent a filibuster -- by potentially deleting portions of the bill.

Other tech policy news this week involved a century-old telephone tax, the recovery of a computer with veterans' personal data and online child exploitation. Listen to the podcast for the details.

Rethinking Media Ownership Rules

Media ownership has been a lingering issue at the FCC ever since a federal court overturned new rules on the subject in June 2003. The topic re-entered the spotlight this week as the agency began a review that must be finished this year.

The FCC will consider whether broadcast ownership rules need to be changed when considering advancing technologies. The agency must decide if the same company within a given market can own a certain number of television and radio stations, and it must determine how to treat rules for the combination of broadcast stations and newspapers.

Chairman Kevin Martin said the commission plans to hold six public hearings on the issue and has adopted an extended comment period of 120 days.

The FCC also acted on a couple of issues related to the funding stream for the universal service fund, which aims to ensure communications services to all Americans.

Other issues from this week's roundup include the telecom debate in Congress, the aftermath of a data breach at the Veterans Affairs Department and a progress report on fighting piracy both domestically and internationally. Listen to the podcast for details.

Network Neutrality Fight Moves To Senate

If you've tuned in before, you know all about the ongoing fight over network neutrality. It has been a staple of our podcast for weeks, and this week is no different. One thing is different, though: The fight now has moved to the Senate.

Net neutrality was among the contentious issues that surfaced at a Commerce Committee hearing in the upper chamber this week. Top panel Democrat Daniel Inouye of Hawaii griped about a lack of strong safeguards to prevent high-speed Internet operators from potentially acting as content gatekeepers.

The Senate Judiciary Committee also held a hearing on the topic. That panel's leaders said they are worried that pending measures could undermine the ability of antitrust authorities to continue ensuring robust competition on broadband networks.

Also this week, former technology industry lobbyist Harris Miller lost his bid for the Democratic Senate nomination in Virginia. And we examined the latest controversies surrounding e-voting. Listen to the podcast for the details.

Telecom Bill Passed After Net Neutrality Defeat

The House overwhelmingly passed a telecommunications bill after defeating an amendment designed to ensure neutral treatment for high-speed Internet content. The vote for passage was 321-101, while the net neutrality language was defeated 152-269.

The bill is largely designed to expedite the entry of Bell telecom companies into the video services market by allowing them to obtain nationwide franchises. But network neutrality has been the most controversial issue for weeks.

The fight now moves to the Senate, where Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens this week said he will alter his approach to network neutrality. The Alaska Republican said he would change his legislation to clarify that the FCC should be involved in net neutrality that affects consumers and the competitive market.

Other tech issues in the news this week included per-channel pricing for cable television, "must carry" rules for digital broadcast feeds, fines for "indecent" broadcast content, and piracy in China. Listen to the podcast for details.

Grants To Fight Terrorism Announced

Welcome to the weekly Tech Policy Pod brought to you by National Journal's Technology Daily, www.technologydaily.com.

The Homeland Security Department announced its state grants to help regions stave off terrorism efforts and protect themselves from natural disasters.

Homeland Security's decision has outraged several lawmakers, as cities such as New York and Washington will see a decline in funding from last year. Retaliatory plans from lawmakers range from public hearings to adding funds to the must-pass fiscal 2006 supplemental appropriations bill for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the IRS said it will stop collecting a controversial telephone tax. The agency will no longer take in the 3 percent federal phone excise tax on long-distance calls as of July 31.

Please tune in for the rest of our podcast to find out more about other hot tech policy and politics issues.