Dear,

If there is one thing that the coronavirus pandemic has made abundantly
clear, it is that the internet is not a luxury.

Millions of Americans who live in rural and underserved areas are cut off
from their employers and their schools as everyday life has been
transferred online. Internet is now just as critical as water or
electricity.

But the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of net neutrality
stopped the internet from being considered a public utility and allowed
Big Cable to throw us into internet slow lanes.

The good news is that a federal court has ordered a new public opinion
period about whether the FCC should stop Big Cable from throwing us into
internet slow lanes.(1) But FCC chair Ajit Pai is trying to hide it from
us with an obscurely-worded announcement notice, and so far, only a few
thousand people have weighed in.(2)

We need all of our members to let the FCC know we want a return to net
neutrality rules. Will you take action right now?

Here's what you do: Follow the link below and type "17-108" in the
"proceeding" box. And in the "comment" box, you can write:

I believe that we need a return to the 2015 Open Internet Rule. Net
neutrality is critical to closing the digital divide and bringing internet
access for all.

[ [link removed] ]Click here to send a comment to the FCC asking for a return to net
neutrality.

After the court found that Big Cable faked tens of millions of comments
for the net neutrality repeal, it forced the FCC to take public input on
its repeal that gave Big Cable the power to block websites, throttle
services, and control what see and do online.(3)

We know what people will say -- Big Cable is ruining our internet. During
California’s worst-ever wildfire, Verizon throttled the Santa Clara fire
department, putting lives in danger.(4) CenturyLink forced customers who
had already paid for internet to watch ads before restoring their
speeds.(5)

All of the major ISPs, in fact, have been caught throttling.(6) And
without net neutrality, the costs of the upcoming 5G networks are going to
skyrocket -- deepening the digital divide.(7)

Overwhelming numbers of Americans support net neutrality, and millions
urged the FCC to keep the rules in place back in 2017. That’s why FCC
Chair Ajit Pai, a former Verizon lawyer, and other Big Cable cronies at
the agency have tried to keep this new comment period out of the public
eye.

Right now, their strategy is working: less than 4,000 people have
commented.(8) So we need you to add your voice right now. We need to use
our experiences of working and schooling online to show just how much we
need reliable, consistent internet.

[ [link removed] ]Click here to send a comment to the FCC on proceeding 17-108 and ask
for a return to net neutrality.

Yours in the fight for our democracy,

Eddie, along with Angela, Anne, Brian, Caitlin, Deepthi, Gabby, Jay,
Lindsay, Molly, and Raquel (the Courage team)

Footnotes:
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Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign) makes sure our democracy works for ALL of us by fighting corruption in California politics. We believe the solution lies in exposing and solving systemic problems through strategic organizing, enhancing coordination between progressive organizations, and mobilizing civic engagement from our communities, particularly voters of color, young voters, and self-identified progressives.

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