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 As regulators work on new so-called "net neutrality" rules, Leahy
wrote to chiefs of AT&T Inc, Verizon Communications Inc, Time Warner
Cable Inc and Charter Communications Inc.
In his letters, similar to one sent to Comcast Corp on Monday, Leahy
asked the leading Internet service providers (ISPs) to formally
commit to no so-called "paid prioritization" deals in which content
companies could pay Internet providers to ensure smooth and fast
delivery of their traffic.
The Federal Communications Commission has received 3.9 million
comments after it proposed new web traffic rules that would prohibit
ISPs from blocking content, but suggested allowing some
"commercially reasonable" paid prioritization deals.
 Large ISPs, including Verizon, Comcast and AT&T, have been asserting
that they had no plans for such paid prioritization arrangements and
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has said he would not tolerate
anti-competitive or anti-consumer prioritization deals.
Nonetheless, consumer advocates and other critics are concerned that
opening the door for paid prioritization, could create "fast lanes"
for some content and so relegate other websites and applications to
"slow lanes."
"These types of arrangements pose a significant threat of dividing
the Internet into those who can afford to compete and those who
cannot," Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, wrote in his letters.
Comcast has said it was reviewing Leahy's letter and a Verizon
representative did not comment on Thursday. Spokespeople for AT&T,
Time Warner Cable and Charter did not immediately have comment.
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Letters from Leahy, a key lawmaker on antitrust issues, come at a
time when the Justice Department and the FCC are reviewing two major
merger proposals: a $45 billion deal between Comcast and Time Warner
Cable and a $48.5 billion deal between AT&T and satellite TV
provider DirecTV.
As part of its merger deal, Comcast planned to sell a portion of its
subscribers to Charter.
Comcast is the only large ISP bound by the 2010 version of net
neutrality rules, which discouraged paid prioritization but were
struck down in court in January over another issue. Comcast has to
continue abiding by those rules until 2018 as a condition of a
merger with NBC Universal.
(Reporting by Alina Selyukh; Editing by David Gregorio)
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