It’s not that often that I get to share good news, so I’ll bask in the pleasure of doing so. It wasn’t long ago that the FCC was talking about a dual tier Internet system, ruled by giant corporations. But the public outcry, urged and abetted by so many people like you and me, followed by Obama’s string stance for net neutrality, seems to have worked.
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission just said he’s proposing the "strongest open Internet protections" the Web has ever seen.
In a Wired op-ed, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced he wants to regulate Internet providers with the most aggressive tool at his disposal: Title II of the Communications Act. In addition to covering fixed broadband providers such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable, the draft rules would cover wireless providers such as T-Mobile and Sprint. The rules would also make speeding up or slowing down Web traffic — a tactic known as prioritization — illegal. And it would ban the blocking of Web traffic outright.
It all adds up to the most significant intervention ever undertaken by federal regulators to make sure the Web remains a level playing field. It is, depending on your ideology, either an unprecedented example of government overreach that will ruin the republic or the most egalitarian, pro-competitive thing the FCC may do in the 21st century.
"My proposal assures the rights of Internet users to go where they want, when they want," Wheeler wrote, "and the rights of innovators to introduce new products without asking anyone’s permission."
The FCC is expected to vote on Wheeler’s proposed rules on Feb. 26… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Washington Post>
Al Franken, a long time Net Neutrality champion, explains.
While we should keep the pressure on and our eyes open until 2/26, kidos to yjr people that made this happen: YOU!
14 Responses to “Good News from the FCC”
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Awesome, I signed the Care2 petetion and shared… Great News. 😆
Al Franken is Correct, unless you don't like facts…
It must be a republian/tea party term "fix it" lol
Certainly congresspersons who are bought and paid for will do their best to mess it up, and they could, as the saying goes, mess up a wet dream. Yes, we will have to stay on it. I have already signed multiple petitions since the announcement, and will likely sign more.
I am NOT including Al Franken in the messers up. It's not just Minnesota that is lucky to have him – we all are. I am delighted that he is coming to Colorado for the Dems' annual dinner. Alas, I can't be there – though at the prices I expect there to be a number of Blue Dog there, and I surely hope they listen and listen hard.
Congress persons being bought and paid for is the root of 99% of the problems we are having now.
WRT "Net Neutrality" – and without a scintilla of irony – I'm going to grab that annoying right-wing phrase meant as mockery and say it with all sincerity:
People and leaders were savvy enough to get the attention of small businesses who would also be losers in a tiered system.
This proves once again that if enough people step up and protest they will get results. I am glad I signed the mutliple petitions that I have received. I wish we had more like Al Franken in DC.
Good news indeed! Now we wait until 26/02/15 for the "fait accompli"!
Franken puts his comment in such clear, understandable words that even a Republicanus/Teabaggerum can understand!
I'm not holding my breath waiting for the FCC votes.
Ou fight is not yet over. We must keep the pressure on because the big ones: Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and the National Music Publishers Association—are all opposed to net neutrality. The have a lot of money in the fight. We have our President, some good Congressmen like Al Franken and Senators like Bernie Sanders, and FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on our side.
Don't stop signing petitions or making phone calls.
Please God that no two-tier system for the internet is agreed after all, we need one system for all – particularly in the world's greatest democracy!
As others have said, we must keep signing petitions and contacting concerned people to make sure they don't forget how concerned and worried we all are!
Thanks and Amen to all! Yes, we still need to stay on top of thjis.