I rarely get passionate about things, but the FCC’s proposed regulations could have dire consequences with the way the internet as we know it works. Allowing ISP’s to provide fast lanes on the internet essentially puts everyone else in the slow lane. ISP’s are refusing to upgrade their infrastructure, even after taking our tax money which was purpose given to help with broadband roll out. We in the U.S. already suffer from lack of competition. We pay more for slower internet than most modern countries today. This is because there is no true broadband competition. The ISP’s have agreed on which markets they wish to have and split the country amongst themselves. Currently my own ISP offers a 100MB connection, but only if you live in Kansas city. What’s special about Kansas City? Well that just happens to be where google fiber is. The only way out of this is to tell the FCC regulate ISP’s as common carriers, similar to the way the Phone companies are regulated.

Call the FCC: 1(888)225-5322
If you’re so inclined, you can use this website https://faxzero.com/  to send faxes online to their offices as well at this number: 866-418-0232
Then, call the Chairman’s direct line: Thomas Wheeler (202)418-1000

Use this website https://formspal.com/opencongress/ to find out who your Congressional Representative/Senator is and call them too.

Tell them that they need to make clear publicly that this plan is not only in direct contradiction of the mission of the FCC, but it is clear based on their proposal that they are not working in service of the people but are working in service of cable internet companies – or they’re trying to secure future employment there. Tell them that at the very least, they should support the passage of H.R. 3982 or S. 1981 (depending on which house they’re in). But at most, they should legislate explicitly that the FCC is mandated to designate all companies that provide any kind of internet service as common carriers of internet – subject to the same neutrality rules as other utilities.

Call the White House: (202) 456-1111 – Tell them to use their considerable influence to pressure the FCC to act in the best interests of the people by preserving internet neutrality, instead of working in service of the current cable monopolies and lining their own pockets (through the promise of future employment or future campaign contributions).

As many people have said, the most effective way to influence your congressional representatives is to write letters(emails work too I think) to the editors of your local newspapers mentioning them by name. This is extra effective if your local paper is also a nationally known paper like the Washington Post, New York or LA Times, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, etc…

While you’re at it… go ahead and send some emails too.

Chairman Tom Wheeler: Tom.Wheeler@fcc.gov
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn: Mignon.Clyburn@fcc.gov