Policy With Respect to Emerging Technologies and Standards

The US Internet Industry Association, as the primary professional association serving the Internet and online services industries, supports the development, standardization, promulgation and use of new technologies that serve to expand and enhance utilization of online services and resources.

In particular, USIIA supports new and emerging technologies that:

• Make management of Internet and online services faster, more efficient, more effective, of greater value, or more profitable.

• Provide managers of Internet and online services better information with which to meet the needs and desires of consumers for access, information and entertainment.

• Provide consumers with increased speed of access, speed of downloading, speed of throughput, or other relevant measures of "bandwidth."

• Provide consumers with greater ease of use.

• Provide consumers with greater protection of personal information and security.

• Provide consumers with better, more relevant, more accessible, more understandable and more useful content.

• Enhance the variety and diversity of choices available to Internet and online services managers and consumers in a free, open and competitive market.

The Association recognizes that new and emerging technologies frequently are offered initially in competitive versions. The policy of the Association is to avoid taking a position in favor of a single competitor, technology, or group of competitors or technologies. Rather, USIIA supports the creation of standards through accepted technical processes and bodies, and supports the ability of a free and competitive market place to choose through market forces and consumer choices which technologies survive and thrive.