House panel wants Google, Facebook, AT&T CEOs to testify on internet rules

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday asked the chief executives of Alphabet Inc, Facebook Inc, Amazon.com Inc, AT&T Inc, Verizon Communications Inc and other companies to testify at a Sept. 7 hearing on the future of net neutrality rules.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is considering tossing out 2015 Obama administration net neutrality rules that reclassified internet service like a public utility. The rules bar providers from blocking, slowing or offering paid prioritization of websites. Many internet providers want Congress to step in and write permanent rules.

Other chief executives asked to testify include the heads of Comcast Corp, Netflix Inc and Charter Communications Inc. The companies did not immediately say if they will testify.

A group representing major technology firms last week urged the FCC to abandon plans to rescind the rules barring internet service providers from hindering consumer access to web content or offering paid “fast lanes.”

Major internet service have urged the FCC, however, to reverse the rules, even as they vowed not to hinder internet access.

In May, the FCC voted 2-1 to advance Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to withdraw the former Obama administration’s order reclassifying internet service providers as if they were utilities.