Netflix CEO Reed Hastings urged Congress on Thursday not to overturn regulations aimed at preventing internet providers from charging tolls for digital content.
In a note to Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Fred Upton (R-MI) and Ranking Democrat Harry Waxman (D-CA), Hastings said that the FCC's rules were an important step toward preserving an open internet. He urged the committee to keep the FCC's regulations in place while simultaneously developing its own more comprehensive legislation.
"We have been supportive of open access to the Internet and believe that the FCC's Open Internet order was a step in the right direction," Hastings wrote.
"Netflix also believes that access to high speed Internet will be very important to our society on a number of levels — from political discourse to commercial activity," he added.
The FCC's net neutrality rule would prevent internet service providers from giving favored content partners a faster or more robust path to consumer's doorsteps. It would also impose fines on companies that do hike fees for premium service.
Netflix has clashed with providers such as Comcast in the past for allegedly charging fees to stream its movies to customers. The health of its growing online video business is partly dependent on avoiding usage charges.
Republicans in the House charge that the rules would stifle innovation. A vote on the "resolution of disapproval" has been pushed back to Friday.
