For Sen Franken, net neutrality remains key campaign issue

Headline-dominating issues such as Ebola and ISIL have commandeered most ­campaign conversations during the waning days of the race between Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and his Republican challenger, Mike McFadden. All but forgotten? Franken’s ­crusade for continued free and open access to the Internet, more ­commonly known as net neutrality.

The Federal Communications Commission’s proposed new Internet access rules could include fast and slow broadband lanes, with Internet service providers being able to charge content providers for the “fast-lane” service. Sen Franken believes only deep-­pocketed corporations could afford to pay for a fast lane, and he believes that would stunt the growth of innovative start-ups. Sen Franken points to YouTube, the ubiquitous video-sharing site begun by three programmers nearly a decade ago that later sold to Google for $1.6 billion. If net neutrality didn’t exist, neither would YouTube. McFadden has largely ignored net neutrality, saying he prefers to focus on pressing issues like national security and the economy. Sen Franken, who said he gets asked about net neutrality “all the time,” counters that those issues rely on an open Internet, as do many others.