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WASHINGTON — On Thursday, 23 racial-justice, civil-liberties and digital-rights groups signed on to a statement of support for the Lifeline program.

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission voted along party lines to begin a rulemaking process in order to jettison Title II protections and once again place broadband-access providers under Title I of the Communications Act — a move that would undermine the sound and successful basis for the FCC’s landmark 2015 Open Internet Order.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to roll back Net Neutrality rules took its first step forward on Thursday.

Last week, while pundits were debating whether crashing web servers at the Federal Communications Commission were hit by hackers or simply by a flood of public comments, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn was on her way to a forum in Los Angeles. There she heard from advocate Sylvia Hernandez and others who are often left out of the Beltway’s tech-policy narratives.

A new report from consumer group Free Press pours cold water on the idea that Net Neutrality killed broadband-industry investment.

Widespread support for strong Net neutrality rules continues. But Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has made a point of trumpeting anti-Net Neutrality sentiment.

A Free Press report disputes the investment numbers cited by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, saying that its own analysis shows an increase in network investment spending since the 2015 Title II Net Neutrality order.

Internet service providers have not slowed investment into infrastructure and networks since the passage of Net Neutrality rules despite industry’s claims to the contrary, a Free Press study found.

In the two-year period following the new net neutrality rules, overall investment among those companies was up 5 percent, according to Free Press.

Though the Commission’s lone Democrat is unlikely to change the minds of her anti-regulation colleagues, she’s not ready to admit defeat just yet.