What the Net Neutrality Battle Means for Entrepreneurs

Will the Federal Communications Commission’s network neutrality rules threaten the entrepreneurial spirit of small startups and vendors online? One hundred companies -- including Yelp, GitHub, Foursquare Labs, Etsy, Kickstarter, and Tumblr -- wrote to the FCC, saying, "Any claim that a net neutrality plan based in Title II would somehow burden ‘small, independent businesses and entrepreneurs with heavy-handed regulations that will push them out of the market’ is simply not true." The Internet could be our last truly level playing field in business. Google, YouTube, Facebook, Amazon, eBay -- the list goes on of companies that began in garages or dorm rooms, and went on to become the beams and hinges of how we live and work online. Without a neutral net, the next Bezos or Jobs could be left in the slow lane.