(Thanks to Time.com for the above photo)
MUNCIE, Indiana (NEWS) – The democrat appointed Chairman to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) got his plan pushed through the commission this afternoon with a vote of 3-2 along party lines which many perceive as a major win for the big Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Verizon, ATT and Comcast.
The Barack Obama appointee and former telecom lobbyist just tipped his hat on who he still works for, and it’s not a fast food restaurant or public sector gig. Keeping the internet neutral by avoiding monopolies and other Oligarchic entities from dictating service, speed and prices is the role of government and the FCC. We think they’ve failed, but they say, “Trust us”.
The telecom industry makes massive profits off the internet already and as far as service, what do Americans get in exchange. Slow download speeds and high costs. Sound familiar?
We pay more for less in this country while touting free and competitive markets are the path to a robust economy, ingenuity, etc.
Sorry folks, but we rank ninth in internet speeds even falling behind France. We have a President who touts American ingenuity, but it’s stifled by monopolies who prevent competition or acquire competing companies. Communities that want to expand broadband services and fiber optic networks have been halted by governors and lawmakers who receive dollars from the telecom industry. Do you have any real choices on who provides your cable or wireless services, or internet?
It’s not about competition…it’s about protecting current and future profits in the foreseeable future for shareholders. This has never been about users of the internet or neutrality. If we think an appointed lobbyist for the telecom industry was going to protect net neutrality, then we are simply playing the role of fool in another stage performance.
Susan Crawford wrote an excellent book last year about the internet and we covered it here on Muncie Voice. She wrote:
“At the heart of the problem lie a few powerful companies with enormous influence over policy making. Both the wireless and wired markets for high-speed Internet access have become heavily concentrated, and neither is subject to substantial competition nor oversight. Companies like Time Warner Cable routinely get their way when they seek to prevent local officials from encouraging competition. At the federal level, Verizon Wireless is keeping the F.C.C. in court arguing over the scope of its regulatory powers — a move that has undermined the agency’s authority.”
While that pretty much says it all and told us what to expect, Gabe Rottman, a policy advisor for the ACLU told the Washington Post today:
“This proposed rule leaves the individual at the mercy of an increasingly concentrated broadband market, in which the big players will be able to act as gatekeepers for online speech, deciding what gets seen and when,” Rottman said. “Fortunately, the FCC left the door open to fix this problem by reclassifying broadband internet service as what it really is: a public utility, or in legal terms, a ‘common carrier,’ which we will continue to vigorously advocate for.”
As you can imagine, Twitter is trending under #NetNeutrality.
The Latest FCC #NetNeutrality Rules Should Be Opposed http://t.co/BiJaPEU0Ec by @ryanfshea
— Entrepreneur (@EntMagazine) May 15, 2014
And this clever Tweet,
This is what the internet could look like if the @FCC kills #NetNeutrality pic.twitter.com/c68Jc0QlCP #SaveOurNet — Zach Green (@140elect) May 15, 2014
And, if you want to read the opine of a dissenting board members, Ajit Pai, he Tweeted his conclusion:
On #NetNeutrality: Here is why I opposed the @FCC Chairman’s proposal. http://t.co/XSI8vgK8q0
— Ajit Pai (@AjitPaiFCC) May 15, 2014
