Porsche Johnson

April 13, 2018-- On April 9th, Oregon became the second state that passed a law in favor of protecting net neutrality. While the law is not as strict as Washington state, but it does “prohibit state agencies from contracting” ISPs that do not agree with the rules of the bill. The bill is set to go into effect in 2019 and it is very likely that ISPs will attempt to sue the state of Oregon over this bill. Oregon is also where three middle school student testified in favor of the state’s net neutrality bill (Read the article here ).  Across the country, there are many cities and states that would like to preserve net neutrality and honestly, it is impressive that two states have actually passed bills. There are still ten days before net neutrality is officially gone, and there is room to believe that the fight will continue and possibly intensify past the April 23rd deadline.  

April 11, 2018--(April 10th) Recently, Ann Coulter was heard making comments that appeared to be in favor of net neutrality. Coulter made comments referring to being unable to find certain sites or even emailing people. However, later comments revealed that Coulter was talking about Google and Facebook. These comments echo a Breitbart article that accuses Google and Facebook of violating net neutrality by allegedly censoring websites and groups like Breitbart and other right-wing media outlets. There are further claims that net neutrality is unfair as the rules tend to apply to internet providers such as Verizon but not to major platforms like Google, who allegedly blocks and censors content while “stealing our personal information, and selling it to advertisers and politicians." This article brings up some interesting points about who the rules of net neutrality should apply to and whether the rules are truly fair. However, does it help conservative groups’ argument if others perceive them as spouting conspiracy theories?

April 5, 2018--The Entertainment Software Association has recently become yet another company that is fighting against the FCC in hopes to stop net neutrality’s repeal. This company represents many major companies in the video game industry such as Nintendo, Capcom, Disney, and Sony. They feel that the online gaming community will be deeply impacted by the repeal and like the other companies that have chose to take legal action, the ESA do not believe that broadband companies will do their part to provide consumers with adequate internet service. 

April 1, 2018--On March 29th, Comcast announced their support on banning paid prioritization (which would allow consumers to possibly have access to faster or better quality of service at a premium price) as long as “specialized services” are exempt. According to the article, these specialized services “differ from broadband internet access service [driving] additional private investment in broadband networks” which are supposed to “[supplement] the benefits of the open internet.” This could be as simple as be able to receive perks or rewards for paying more. Or it could be more complicated than that. An important point made in this article states that those who would benefit the most from this prioritization should pay for it. The best analogy for that is paying more to have ad-free content on streaming sites like Netflix or being able to have access to television channels through Hulu. It’s more money but as a consumer, the desired experience has been achieved. That being said, however, should Comcast be allowed exemptions on “specialized services,” I worry about what other companies may follow in their footsteps and what that could entail for the regular consumer. 

March 28, 2018-- AT&T, Verizon and other companies are planning to sue any states that are trying to enforce their own net neutrality laws. This comes in response to states such as Washington state, California, and New Jersey who have introduced--or passed in Washington state’s case--legislation that would require ISPs to uphold net neutrality. USTelecom, a lobby group that represents companies like AT&T have come to the telecommunication companies’ aid to push back. Essentially, USTelecom feels that there should be no need for each state to have their own net neutrality rules stating that “protections should be no different for consumers in Minnesota or Iowa than they are in California or Florida.” They are arguing for one net neutrality law to end this whole debate. As of now, there are no lawsuits nor has Congress come together to make a final vote as to what to do with net neutrality. However, April 23rd is swiftly approaching and I wonder if after April 23rd, it’ll be the last anyone talks about net neutrality.

March 28, 2018--The fight to keep net neutrality from being fully repealed has now been taken to the D.C. Circuit. This particular court has jurisdiction over any decision made by the FCC. With April 23rd--the date in which net neutrality is officially and finally repealed--quickly approaching, all supporters are rallying to hopefully stop that train. I am very interested to see how this all turns out and if supporters of net neutrality can stop the FCC. However, I feel that it might take longer than April 23rd to keep net neutrality. In addition, should net neutrality be officially repealed, I have a feeling that it would be much harder to challenge the FCC’s decision. 

On March 22nd, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai claimed that net neutrality is to blame why there is a lack of internet connectivity in rural areas. He further claimed that the money that would have been used to strengthen connectivity in rural areas had to be used to “pay lawyers and consultants to make sense of the new rules” that were put in place in 2015. Essentially, Pai believes the repeal of those rules set in 2015 would allow companies to have more money to invest in rural and low income areas. However, this article highlights that since Pai became chairman, he has taken away provisions that include a subsidy for wireless internet in low income areas. It is truly concerning to think about the internet will be like if net neutrality is repealed once and for all. It is possible that content on the internet will remain as it is now, but so far, the FCC nor Ajit Pai have mentioned anything that gives supporters of net neutrality much hope, if any. 

March 18, 2018--Major ISPs such as Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast are asking Congress to basically ban states from making legislation that challenges the FCC’s decision to repeal net neutrality. This comes in response to around 36 states--including California, Washington state, and New Jersey--who are rallying to keep net neutrality in their states. There are already some members of Congress who have introduced legislation to ban state net neutrality laws such as Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana. Those who support the repeal on net neutrality assure that everyone will receive broadband internet access without any issues. 

On March 6, 2018, Washington State has become the first state to protect net neutrality from the FCC. House Bill 2282 allows for the net neutrality rules stay in place which means that all ISPs will be required to treat all online content equally, meaning internet service providers in Washington state will be kept from "blocking content, applications, or services, or slowing down traffic on the basis of content or whether they got paid to favor certain traffic." For some, it is a small victory in an ongoing battle as other states rush to protect net neutrality in their own states before April 23rd, the day when net neutrality officially ends. It is still a question of whether the repeal of net neutrality will truly be as bad as it is painted. However, the outcome of net neutrality ending must have dire consequences for states and major companies to be fighting for it. 

March 2, 2018--Over 75 mayors and city officials have sent letters to the FCC demanding that net neutrality be protected. However, this is not the first time that petitions and letters to stop net neutrality from being repealed have been made. Many of these letters express the importance of a free internet to their constituents. These pleas have been met with silence. Recently, the Constitutional Review Act rolled out this week but needs one more vote in order to make it pass the Senate. These letters along with the CRA have sparked the #OneMoreVote movement on social media. Unfortunately, it remains to be seen whether the supporters of net neutrality will get that last vote as chairman Ajit Pai and his supporters are intent on repealing net neutrality for good. 

February 28, 2018--Washington state has recently passed what is being called "the country's toughest net neutrality legislation." The state has ordered that all internet service providers (ISPs), regardless of whether there are state deals or not, would have to provide an internet service free from throttling or creating "fast lanes" in which customers must pay a premium price in order to get the best service. This legislation separates Washington state from states like New Jersey and Montana who make ISPs agree to not tamper with internet service if they want contracts with the state government. It will be interesting to see if any other states will follow Washington's lead on being tougher on ISPs and broadband companies in order to protect net neutrality.

February 27, 2018--Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts has officially introduced a resolution that could save net neutrality. Named the Congressional Review Act "resolution of disapproval," should the resolution be passed, it would undo the FCC's vote on net neutrality. However, if Senator Markey does not obtain the majority vote by April 23rd, then the net neutrality rules will officially be changed. Not only that, the bill would have to survive in the House of Representatives and dodge a veto by President Trump. A hopeful outcome in the future is that by putting pressure on the House and creating more awareness, net neutrality can become a critical issue in the 2018 elections in the fall.

February 23, 2018--This article from Vice talks about how people of color, especially those living in low income areas or rural areas are more likely to not have access to high-speed internet or dial-up internet, in some cases. It claims that internet service providers systematically distribute their services to areas that are predominantly white. or are at least more affluent. For those living in low income areas or ares with more people of color, having proper access to internet allows residents to pay bills online, apply for jobs, complete homework or work assignments and to be able to socialize with other people. This is why many consumers are wary of relying on broadband companies for reliable internet service should net neutrality be fully repealed. For many people, having internet access is not a luxury but a lifeline.

February 22, 2018--As the FCC continues its push to officially dismantle the rules of net neutrality,  major companies such as Google, Facebook, Reddit, and Tumblr have decided to join the effort to fight back against the FCC before net neutrality is officially dead. One of the worries about the repeal of net neutrality is that broadband companies will have complete control over how consumers use the internet instead of being the neutral gatekeepers that net neutrality made them be. Consumers are worried that they will not get the same quality of internet, especially in rural areas. In my opinion, people are not willing to take the risk to see whether broadband companies and internet service providers will be fair or honest. There's a fear that major corporations will turn the internet into a commodity or something to be monopolized. Of course, no one will know until the issue of net neutrality is settled.

February 17, 2018--Vermont recently signed an order in support of net neutrality. Vermont joins Montana, New Jersey, Hawaii and New York in signing an order that requires "state agencies to use ISPs the promise not to engage in throttling, blocking, or prioritizing of network content." Like the other states who have ordered similar mandates, Vermont is interested in securing effective and quality high-speed internet to citizens equally. While ISPs have every right to do things that benefit their business, having a stable internet access has become too important for people to live without. It's refreshing to see the government working for its people at any level.

February 16, 2018--FCC chairman Ajit Pai has been questioned as to whether he colluded with Sinclair Broadcast Group, a conservative local television company, in order to gain "greater consolidation in the industry." Chairman Pai has yet to respond to the questions or allegations. However, the article points out that Ajit Pai used to be an attorney for Verizon. This raises the question of Pai's motives in regards to net neutrality or why he would be in contact with a broadcasting company. As chairman of the FCC, shouldn't Ajit Pai be objective and stay away from an entities that could paint him as biased?

February 13, 2018--There have been a few states in the country such as California and New Jersey that have found ways to try and keep net neutrality in their states. This involves making sure ISPs don't throttle or intentionally slow down the internet for customers in attempts to get them to pay more. New Jersey, for instance, won't do business with ISPs if they are not willing to adhere to net neutrality rules. This is a good exercise of states' rights in order to protect the interests of its citizens. Whether or not more states will follow or that states like New Jersey can continue doing this is unknown but the debate will continue.