Net neutrality controversy began in Portland

[Commentary] Oregonians may recall that Portland was on the front lines of defending an open internet when cable companies first planned high-speed "broadband" in the late 1990s. A unanimous City Council vote on a cable ownership transfer led Portland's "Open Access" fight and became what is now known as the net neutrality issue. It's the idea that internet content should not be favored, blocked or slowed down based on where the content originates. Our best hope to halt this historic wrong turn is through grassroots activism -- already evident on the streets of Portland -- as well as changes by Congress or through the ballot box.  Kudos to the Oregon Attorney General for demanding an investigation of flaws in the federal agency's current process. In the meantime, Oregonians who already were on the front lines of this battle in the 1990s must have no hesitation in continuing to fight to preserve the open internet we have always known.  [David Olson served as the City of Portland's cable communications director from 1983 to 2012, and is currently an adjunct professor of telecommunications law at Lewis & Clark Law School.]