Let’s give veterans the Internet they deserve

[Commentary] President Barack Obama made a disastrous decision to break with two decades of bipartisan policy and endorse classifying the Internet as a Title II utility -- a throwback to 1930s regulatory culture. Let’s hope that Title II classification doesn’t happen.

If it does, infrastructure investment will be so limited that dreams of a great tech future for vets will evaporate. Only if the Internet remains subject to light-touch regulation and investment stays robust can we anticipate policy changes for veterans that will flow from technology. The Internet is a tool for moving information faster and more accurately. At the very least, it’s making veterans feel less alone. The best tools are still to come – but only if the Internet’s infrastructure remains strong and ever-changing. That won’t happen with the kind of intervention that President Obama is advocating. For the sake of veterans -- and the rest of us -- it’s vital that the Internet stays free.

[Glassman is a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute]