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.

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.

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:
1. https://www.wired.com/story/another-chance-weigh-fcc-net-neutrality-repeal/
2. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/02/21/fcc_net_neutrality/
3. https://www.wired.com/story/another-chance-weigh-fcc-net-neutrality-repeal/
4. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/08/verizon-throttled-fire-departments-unlimited-data-during-calif-wildfire/
5. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/12/centurylink-blocks-internet-access-falsely-claims-state-law-required-it/
6. https://news.northeastern.edu/2018/09/10/new-research-shows-your-internet-provider-is-in-control/
7. https://www.wired.com/story/5g-is-coming-real-will-cost-you/
8. https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/filings?proceedings_name=17-108&sort=date_disseminated,DESC

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.