Network Neutrality Essential to our Democracy

[Commentary] Network neutrality is, simply put, the fundamental principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally.

There are very few level playing fields in American life, but in a nation plagued by inequality, the Internet has remained open, free and fair -- a powerful equalizing force that has allowed good ideas to flourish whether they came from a corporate board room or a college dorm room. This equality of opportunity is at the core of net neutrality. And it is under relentless attack by major telecommunications companies seeking yet another advantage to tighten their grip on the market. The importance of preserving net neutrality should be obvious. A tiered Internet will be great for the profits of telecommunications companies, but terrible for entrepreneurs, stifling the kind of innovation that can build massive followings before ever leaving the garage. Worse yet, sanctioning the creation of “fast lanes” could lead to online discrimination, with the providers choking off controversial views to protect their financial or political interests. Net neutrality is also essential to maintaining a genuinely open marketplace of ideas.

The fight for net neutrality started long ago, the result of a people-powered movement that has spent years fighting for an open and free Internet. As President Barrack Obama acknowledged in his statement, for example, the Federal Communication Commission’s plan to allow “fast lanes” received almost 4 million public comments, the most in the agency’s history. And today, it seems possible, if not likely, that the public interest will prevail over special interests. But the forces mobilizing against net neutrality have no intention of stepping down from a fight. If the American people are serious about keeping the Internet open and free, the movement that has gotten us this far must continue to demand true net neutrality without delay.