An internet that’s managed and manipulated by for-profit interests may sound like the reality we live in, but it’s not. Yes, when you access broadband service, you (or your institution or employer) are paying a fee. But the important feature we take for granted is this pipeline is more or less the same wherever we go.
I won’t use this space to tackle the numerous concerns we already struggle with (lack of consumer choice to access the web, even more limited access in rural areas, the fact that the United States is, compared to the rest of the world, suffering from slower bandwidth). What’s at stake is the basic ability to access the web without a myriad of commercial interests gouging you as a consumer. Worse, grassroots organizations, which rely on an open web to get their message out, could very well experience suppression if net neutrality is no longer the standard line.
You can take action: contact your state representatives and demand support for Net Neutrality.
Stephen Cummings 