A key House Democrat plans to make data...

A key House Democrat plans to make data caps a priority this week. House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., plans a briefing Tuesday at 10:15 a.m. in room H-137 of the Capitol to highlight the findings of a GAO study on the topic she requested. GAO staff will also attend the briefing. “The GAO will outline their preliminary findings from consumer focus groups conducted nationwide and interviews with key stakeholders, including broadband providers, Internet companies and consumer groups,” Eshoo said in a statement. “As the FCC continues to seek comment on its proposed net neutrality rules, it’s more important than ever that policymakers understand data caps and how they might enable broadband providers to circumvent open Internet rules that ensure consumers have uninhibited access to the Internet.” Eight focus groups were held across four U.S. cities, an Eshoo aide told us Friday. Eshoo intends to submit these findings to the FCC as part of its net neutrality proceeding, the aide said. He emphasized that the concerns about data caps are really not so different from those for paid prioritization deals -- and more importantly, aren’t hypothetical, with major companies moving forward with plans that feature sponsored data and caps. The overall attention on net neutrality makes this issue especially relevant, the aide said.