Verizon challenges FCC Net neutrality rules - Jan. 20, 2011

Image via WikipediaBe sure to see link for the full story. We don't want to loose our Free Internet to anyone.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/20/technology/verizon_fcc/index.htm
By Laurie Segall, staff reporterJanuary 21, 2011: 10:54 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Verizon filed a legal appeal on Thursday challenging the Federal Communications Commission's authority to enforce the new Net neutrality rules it adopted last month.
"We believe this assertion of authority goes well beyond any authority provided by Congress, and creates uncertainty for the communications industry, innovators, investors and consumers," Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel Michael E. Glover said in a written statement

On December 21, the FCC's commissioners voted three-to-two to adopt so-called "Net neutrality" rules, which would give the agency regulatory power over Internet service providers. The agency's goal is to prevent Internet providers from blocking or "unreasonably discriminating" against Web content, services or applications.
But the FCC's legal grounds for expanding its authority is shaky, and industry observers predicted that Internet providers would take the issue to court.
"Undoubtedly, there's going to be litigation against it," Rebecca Tushnet, a professor at Georgetown University who specializes in digital media, said at the time.
Enter Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500). The company was already in the thick of the Net neutrality fight after striking a backroom deal with Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) last year that it hoped would head off new FCC rules. It didn't.
The FCC has been through the legal wringer several times in its attempts to police Internet providers.
In 2007, Comcast -- the nation's largest Internet provider -- blocked its subscribers from using peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. The FCC tried to force Comcast to stop, and Comcast fought back with a lawsuit challenging the FCC's authority in the matter. In April 2010, a U.S. court of appeals ruled in Comcast's favor.

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Congress just sold you out

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Congress just sold you out to Comcast, Verizon and AT&T.

74 House Democrats and 37 Senate Republicans have signed industry-written letters telling the FCC to abandon efforts to protect Internet users and stop big companies from blocking Internet traffic.

It's yet another example of dirty politics destroying our democracy, and it has to stop.

Tell Washington: Congress Doesn't Speak for Me

The nasty little secret that everybody knows? Almost every one of these representatives has accepted massive contributions from the phone and cable lobby. Now the industry is demanding a return on its investment.

Fortunately, your member of Congress isn't among this group of sellouts. 

By signing the industry letter, these members of Congress have drastically undercut the FCC's ability to get a fast, affordable and open Internet to everyone in America. They are actually taking a position against the interests of rural and low-income communities.

We aren't going to let this outrageous and unethical behavior stand. Today, we're asking hundreds of thousands of Americans to

sign our own letter and telling Congress and the FCC that these members of Congress don't speak for us, President Obama or the millions of other Americans who support a fast, open and affordable Internet.

Don't Let Dirty Politics Kill Fast, Open and Affordable Internet

That so many members of Congress would intentionally sell out the public may be hard to imagine. Perhaps these representatives didn't know what they were signing. Or perhaps this is just business as usual, another D.C. betrayal of the public trust. (Is it any wonder the latest Gallup public opinion poll counts a congressional disapproval rating of 73 percent?)

These members of Congress acted on blind faith that phone and cable companies have the best interests of Americans in mind.

But Comcast and AT&T can no better police themselves to protect the open Internet than BP can police itself to protect the oceans. We already know how that ends. The phone and cable companies must play by our rules before it's too late.

Congress can't hand over the future of communications to these companies. The results would be disastrous.

By

taking action today, you're telling Congress that these bad deeds won't go unnoticed.

Thank you,

Timothy Karr
Free Press Action Fund
http://www.savetheInternet.com
http://www.FreePress.net

P.S. Be sure to

sign this letter to Washington. Then forward this e-mail to your friends in Arizona and share the action via Twitter and Facebook.

Posted via email from Todays World

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