Free Press: Clear Net Neutrality Rules Will Promote Investment, Innovation and Competition
WASHINGTON -- In a 198-page filing with the Federal Communications Commission Thursday night, Free Press offered compelling evidence that Network Neutrality rules will promote investment, encourage innovation, create jobs, and spur competition.
The extensive comments provide guidance on how the FCC should structure Net Neutrality rules in order to effectively preserve the open Internet. The Free Press filing also rebuts the phone and cable companies' misguided claims about the harms of openness policy.
"There is a reason millions of citizens have told the FCC and Congress to preserve Net Neutrality," said S. Derek Turner, research director of Free Press. "The basic DNA of openness must not be destroyed in the short-sighted pursuit of monopoly profits on the part of the private companies that have made billions by selling access to this essential resource."
In its filing, Free Press not only shows that Net Neutrality promotes investment, but that losing this fundamental protection would unleash harmful, anti-consumer business models. Free Press argues that the true motive of the phone and cable companies trying to dismantle Net Neutrality is to protect their legacy voice and video services from the competition enabled by the open Internet.
The comments also illustrate that a policy of nondiscrimination, backed by a strict standard for reasonable network management, is needed to establish clear guidance for consumers, developers and network operators.
"We urge the commission to quickly adopt Net Neutrality rules and bring certainty to the marketplace," Turner said.
Read Free Press' filing:
www.freepress.net/files/Free_Press_Summary_of_Net_Neutrality_Comments_09-191.pdf
www.freepress.net/files/Free%20Press_09-191_Comments.pdf
Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications. Learn more at www.freepress.net
