The Internet Association warned of “threats to Internet...

The Internet Association warned of “threats to Internet freedom” in the form of “governments seeking to regulate the Internet or gatekeepers desiring to control access to the Internet,” an ex parte filing said (http://bit.ly/1faq93C). In a meeting Wednesday with FCC Acting General Counsel Jonathan Sallet, the association said Verizon’s recent challenge to the FCC’s net neutrality rules “underscores” its point. “The Internet Association supports enforceable rules that preclude Internet access providers from using their gatekeeper positions to block or degrade access to content,” it said. “Transparency rules” should require ISPs to provide information on their network management practices, it said. Though many sections of the FCC’s net neutrality rules were overturned, the transparency rules were upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Also last week, Dish Network spoke with agency officials about the “possible need for rules applicable to broadband access providers who choose to hold themselves out as common carriers or in fact do so,” an ex parte filing said (http://bit.ly/1faqu6q). “These rules can complement any rules that the Commission may consider promulgating under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act ... for broadband access providers that do not in fact hold themselves out as common carriers,” Dish said.