Council opposes proposed changes to Internet rules
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » On Tuesday, the City Council joined elected officials across the country with a signed letter opposing the Federal Communications Commission’s upcoming vote that could end the current net-neutrality laws.
On Dec. 14, the FCC intends to vote on a proposal called Restoring Internet Freedom Draft Order, repealing the current net-neutrality rules.
The rules prevent phone and cable companies from favoring certain websites and apps and give the FCC more oversight over privacy and the activities of telecom companies.
AT&T, Comcast and Verizon are among the service providers that have opposed the FCC rules,
as have many Republican officials, saying they hurt investment in internet infrastructure and represent too much government involvement in business.
Internet companies, consumer-advocacy groups and Democratic officials have generally been in favor of net-neutrality rules.
This summer, the council, in response to a May FCC meeting where the commission voted to consider a full repeal of Title II and the net neutrality rules, unanimously approved a resolution urging the FCC to maintain and enforce the 2015 Open Internet Order, which ensured the principles of openness, freedom and innovation, while providing equal access to the internet, regardless of provider.
“Repealing net neutrality would allow internet service providers to restrict access to certain types of services or information at their discretion, and charge local residents and businesses more to access certain websites and apps, all of which the City Council is united against,” said Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan. “After passing the July resolution, the City Council signed a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai with over 60 other elected officials from around the country, urging the FCC to continue to operate under the 2015 Open Internet Order.”
Lawmakers and consumers have called to delay the vote next week, but the FCC has decided a vote will still happen, prompting the city to join dozens of elected officials to express strong opposition to the FCC’s proposal.
“We believe [the proposal] will result in material negative consequences for residents and businesses nation-wide, including: abusive gatekeeper behavior by dominant broadband providers, many of whom already have a de facto monopoly on Internet access in specific regions, paid prioritization schemes, whereby ISPs charge more to access certain sites or apps and blocking or throttling (which is the intentional slowing down of) specific content, resulting in a less competitive and diverse marketplace,” said Madigan.
“These effects would have a disproportionate effect on the most vulnerable, as broadband affordability in low-income communities is already a significant challenge faced by communities nationwide, and who — without an alternative provider — would be forced to simply accept these practices to participate in our connected world,” said Madigan. “Given these concerns, the City Council of Saratoga Springs joins with officials across the country in signing another letter to the FCC asking that they not put the financial gain of a few ISPs ahead of millions of Americans who rely on a free and open Internet to work, innovate, relax, and manage their lives online.”
All of the council members signed the letter.
U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, has been a proponent of keeping the current net-neutrality rules.
In response to a Nov. 21 tweet that announced the FCC’s desire to roll back the rules, Tonko tweeted: “This is terrible. #NetNeutrality is how we keep the Internet free & open for millions of #smallbiz & consumers. We all need to raise our voices now to #SaveNetNeutrality.”