The concept of Net Neutrality in America dates back to 1860 and the telegraph. Net Neutrality was a principle in place at the start of the internet. This principle was enforced by the FCC through the 1990’s until ISP lobbying weakened these principles in 2002 and killed them in 2005. In 2015 the FCC reclassified ISPs as Title II in order to return enforceable Net Neutrality to the Internet through the “Open Internet Rules.”
These rules simply stop ISPs from blocking and throttling online content they do not like or that hurt’s their business model. It also stops them from giving special priority to one form of online content over another.
The current FCC is looking to remove the Title II designation from ISPs which would remove the Open Internet Rules and could be the end of cord cutting (among other things). It would also give ISPs the power to pick the winners and losers among online content providers.
To stop the FCC, everyone needs to have their voices heard at the FCC. We can do this by commenting on the official record. Even if the FCC moves forward with these actions, these comments are crucial to correct this injustice in the courts. Below are the instructions on how to register your comment with the FCC.
Voice Your Support for Net Neutrality
To have your voice heard and show your support for net neutrality follow the instructions below to comment on the proceedings for Promoting and Protecting an Open Internet:
- Go to the FCC Express Comment Page https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/express
- Enter 17-108 in the “Proceeding(s)” field (That’s the proceeding number for Net Neutrality)
- Enter all required information and your comment
- Click the button to review
- Review then Submit your comment
Your comment will be reviewed by the FCC and posted. It’s best that the comment is your own words. However, be sure to mention the following:
- Your support of ISPs being treated as a Title 2 common carrier and regulated by the FCC
- The Open Internet Rules from 2015 should remain in place as is.
Below is an example of all you would need to say:
Network Neutrality and common carrier based communication in the U.S. dates back to 1860 with the telegraph. The internet should adhere to our American tradition by leaving Internet Service Providers classified as a Title II common carrier service.
Please share this on all your social media. We can’t let politicians and bureaucrats hand complete control of our internet to ISPs and Cable Companies. Voice your concerns through a comment to the FCC.
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