Subject: Who's after your Internet?

From: "Lauren Coletta, Common Cause" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 09:42:40 -0700

Dear David,

Meet Ed Whitacre, the soon-to-be-former CEO of AT&T.  He kicked off a political firestorm when he said: "What they would like to do is use my pipes free. I ain't going to let them do that... For a Google or Yahoo or Vonage or anybody to expect to use these pipes [for] free is nuts!"

Now meet his successor, Randall Stephenson.  Unfortunately Mr. Stephenson seems to be stepping comfortably into Whitacre's shoes.

They are among the telecom executives fighting against Net Neutrality.  That's the idea that Internet users should be able to access any web content they choose, without restrictions or limitations imposed by Internet service providers.

Net Neutrality rules expired last summer, and now the FCC must decide whether or not to renew them.  We have a chance to comment - but the public comment period closes on June 15th, and it is critical that they hear from us.

Demand Net Neutrality.  Let's send 25,000 comments to the FCC by the June 15th deadline. http://www.commoncause.org/InternetFreedom

Telephone and cable companies that provide Internet access to millions of Americans want to create a "two-lane" information highway - where their own content and services (and those of businesses that pay steep fees) would reach your computer quickly via a "fast lane." Everything else - a small business's website, your friend's blog - would be stuck in the "slow lane."

And these companies are some of America's wealthiest corporations.  They're throwing millions of dollars into lobbying Congress and the FCC on behalf of their own interests.  They don't see the Internet as a democratic medium - they see it as a cash cow.

This is your chance to have YOUR say.  Tell the FCC you want Net Neutrality protected now.
http://www.commoncause.org/InternetFreedom
 
If the FCC does not act soon to protect Net Neutrality, the Internet as we know it could vanish. Forget an open exchange of ideas, art, activism, and entrepreneurialism.  We'll be left with an Internet that's controlled by a small number of corporations who just want to use it to fatten their bottom line.

Please take a moment to send your comment to the FCC before the comment period closes on June 15th.  Let's make the FCC listen to us, not a handful of wealthy executives.  Let's protect the freedom of the Internet.

Thanks,

Lauren Coletta, Dawn Iype and Jon Bartholomew
The Common Cause Media Reform Team

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