Save Internet Freedom, Support Net Neutrality

Save Internet Freedom, Support Net Neutrality
By Don@Smalldog.com

I was recently a speaker at a press conference in support of net
neutrality. We joined a coalition of groups to lobby Vermont Senator
Jeffords to actively support net neutrality in the telecommunications
bill coming up to the Senate this month. The senator came out in
favor of net neutrality last night, and we presented him with
petitions and held the press conference to encourage his support.
Vermont’s other Senator, Patrick Leahy, has been a net neutrality
supporter from the beginning. This is one of the few times that I
stood up with the ACLU, Vermont Public Interest Group, and groups
such as the Christian Coalition and the National Gun Owners
association to talk about a public policy issue. This is a vitally
important issue that you should be aware of and talk about with your
senators, too. More information is available at:

http://www.savetheinternet.com/

The current telecommunications bill does not have protection for the
concept of net neutrality included in the legislation. At the urging
of a handful of telecommunications companies — namely, Verizon,
Comcast, Bell South, and AT&T — the legislation would allow these
very same internet "gatekeepers" to charge different rates for
different levels of access to the net. This would mean that the
larger companies could and would pay for faster page-loads and
preferred access while smaller companies, bloggers, and others may be
left with slow access or no access. The internet has been the most
free common ground for communications in the history of humanity. A
small company in the middle of nowhere with some good web-design
skills can look as good and provide the same goods and services as a
company that is much larger. With a tiered internet, that new
entrepreneur might be locked out of her new venture because she
cannot afford the extra fees for the higher level of access.

The impact upon bloggers, news sites, and a free press is even more
troublesome. An aggressive ISP might price these grassroots
newsgroups and bloggers out of the market or even make it so their
pages load so slowly that they are unusable. The only ones advocating
for overturning the status quo of a free, neutral net are those same
large telecommunications companies that want to make more money and
exercise more control over the content on the net. Some of the very
companies that could afford to pay these higher fees to gain faster
access are the most vociferous supporters of net neutrality.
Companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google could easily pay to be
in the upper tier but have been very vocal and active in supporting a
free internet. They do not see any benefit to allowing Comcast,
Verizon, and Bell South to control internet content or speed.

Small Dog Electronics was born on the internet. The company was a
gleam in my eye and operated out of my living room and garage for the
first year of operation. We never would have had the success we have
achieved from the boonies in the Green Mountains without net
neutrality. It is a concept that is near and dear to us and one that
we will continue to support with our public voice and our votes.

How do you feel about net neutrality? Share your opinion at the Small
Dog Soapbox:

http://www.smalldog.com/PHPbb/viewforum.php?f=1

Posted by Cyndi Danner-Kuhn