John,
Just a few weeks ago, FCC Chair Ajit Pai was loudly celebrating the federal court decision to uphold his repeal of net neutrality.1
Now Pai is making the media rounds to complain that the court is allowing states to make their own net neutrality rules, saying it would be better to have “a uniform, well-established set of regulations that are consistent” than separate laws in different states.2
Well, Mr. Pai, we did have those regulations with the 2015 Open Internet Order—but you chose to quash it. So now Fight for the Future is going to work to pass net neutrality rules state by state so Big Cable and Ajit Pai can't crush the open Internet again.
Will you donate to help pass net neutrality rules state by state and stop Big Cable from ruining our Internet?
DONATE
When the DC Circuit Court of Appeals decided that Pai's net neutrality repeal could stand, it also ruled that the FCC couldn't automatically preempt state laws.3
That put California's gold standard net neutrality law back on the table, as well as legislation in nearly 30 other states that is now free to pass.4 And if enough states pass legislation, Big Cable ISPs will find it easier to just adhere to net neutrality rules than try to follow different policies in different states.
Pai's recent public appearances have one aim: to build support with Big Cable lobbyists and push through legislation in Congress to stop states from having their own laws. He's telling the public that state net neutrality laws will drive away business and disrupt the market—when the market was actually better under net neutrality regulations than without them.
But Pai has half the U.S. Senate on his side, as well as Democratic senator Kyrsten Sinema, who is open to weak net neutrality bills that would serve Big Cable.5
So not only do we need to pass net neutrality laws in as many states as possible, we have to stop Congress from outlawing states from passing this legislation. It's a tough road, but we have public opinion and grassroots power on our side.
Will you donate to Fight for the Future and help save net neutrality?
For the Internet,
Evan at Fight for the Future
Footnotes:
1. The Washington Times: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/oct/1/ajit-pai-declares-victory-consumers-court-upholds-/
2. Ars Technica: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/10/ajit-pai-bemoans-state-broadband-laws-but-his-actions-helped-create-them/
3. CNet: https://www.cnet.com/news/net-neutrality-court-ruling-states-can-set-own-rules/
4. CNet: https://www.cnet.com/news/california-lawmakers-give-thumbs-up-to-gold-standard-net-neutrality-bill/
5. Multichannel: https://www.multichannel.com/news/sens-wicker-sinema-on-net-neutrality-can-we-talk
Fight for the Future works to protect your rights in the digital age.
