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To: President Biden
Restore net neutrality!
With Ajit Pai finally leaving the FCC, we urge President Biden to appoint a 5th commissioner to the FCC who can break the tie and reinstate strong open internet rules.
Why is this important?
The Big Cable companies are already undermining the principles of an open internet. After the pandemic sent many of us home for work and school, to rely entirely on high-speed internet, Comcast announced data caps on some of its home internet services.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of how Big Cable companies have taken advantage since Donald Trump and former Verizon lawyer Ajit Pai took over the FCC and pushed through a repeal of the Open Internet Order that took effect in 2018. Verizon throttled a fire department during a wildfire, and AT&T said it would exclude its own streaming service from data caps that it would apply to rivals’ services.
Ajit Pai just stepped down after four awful years at the helm of the Federal Communications Commission, which began when Trump installed him as chair.
This is potentially huge news for net neutrality and reestablishing critical FCC authority over broadband. But even as Pai departs, strong open internet rules are blocked for the time being because of a 2–2 stalemate at the FCC. The internet needs President Biden to immediately nominate and the Senate confirm a 5th commissioner to break the tie and reinstate strong rules.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of how Big Cable companies have taken advantage since Donald Trump and former Verizon lawyer Ajit Pai took over the FCC and pushed through a repeal of the Open Internet Order that took effect in 2018. Verizon throttled a fire department during a wildfire, and AT&T said it would exclude its own streaming service from data caps that it would apply to rivals’ services.
Ajit Pai just stepped down after four awful years at the helm of the Federal Communications Commission, which began when Trump installed him as chair.
This is potentially huge news for net neutrality and reestablishing critical FCC authority over broadband. But even as Pai departs, strong open internet rules are blocked for the time being because of a 2–2 stalemate at the FCC. The internet needs President Biden to immediately nominate and the Senate confirm a 5th commissioner to break the tie and reinstate strong rules.