Dear Anita,
Big telecom is about to win a huge battle in the fight to destroy our open Internet. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps can be a hero and stop this stealth attack on net neutrality.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has announced plans to issue weak, industry-friendly regulations when the FCC meets on Dec. 21st. And in a cynical ploy Genachowski is calling the rules "net neutrality," when they're nothing of the sort. It's fake net neutrality, and what's more his proposal has been praised by the telecom industry.
No one at the FCC has been a bigger champion for real net neutrality than Commissioner Michael Copps. When the time comes for a vote on Chairman Genachowski's fake net neutrality, Copps' vote will be the deciding one.
Please join us and our friends at CREDO Action in telling Copps: Be a hero for the Internet — vote no on Chairman Genachowski's fake net neutrality plan. You can send him a free fax by clicking the link below:
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/614?akid=1... No acceptable proposal can permit what's called "paid prioritization" — where content providers can cut deals with carriers for special treatment. A reasonable proposal must provide wireless broadband the protections offered for wireline. And it must involve reclassifying broadband to provide the legal footing required by the courts for implementation. Just as importantly, the rule must have clear, inexpensive, and rapid procedures, and meaningful penalties, so that innovators and citizens can effectively seek redress and legal clarity.
However, in his relentless search for the path of least resistance, Chairman Genachowski has proposed a set of rules that fails all those tests. If adopted, they would allow broadband companies to discriminate between sources and types of content — putting regular folks at a disadvantage. And they would totally exempt cell phones and wireless devices from protections. The Chairman's proposal seems designed to benefit the largest telecom companies instead of average people. And by rejecting reclassification under Title II, the Chairman all but guarantees the courts will strike down the regulations.
There is a powerful public mandate from organizations and everyday people reflecting all of America's diversity of race, class, and political opinion who want meaningful, enforceable net neutrality protections.
If Commissioner Copps refuses to support Genachowski's cynical ploy to placate the telecoms, he can force the Chairman's hand. Without Copps' support, the Chairman will not have enough votes to pass his fake net neutrality plan which has been praised by the telecom companies.
There is only one Internet, and consumers should be allowed to access any legal website, service or application on any device of their choosing (whether they're accessing the Internet wirelessly or not) without interference from big telecom.
Chairman Genachowski won't stand up for a free and open Internet. But Commissioner Copps can be a hero. Urge him to do what's right and vote no on December 21.
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/614?akid=1... Thanks and Peace,
-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org Team
December 13th, 2010
Posted By: anita moore
Monday, December 13th 2010 at 4:38PM
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