Net Neutrality: Opening the Doors of Opportunity

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Mignon Clyburn made a direct appeal to the civil rights community to support Net Neutrality rules during an appearance at a forum hosted by the Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies in Washington earlier this month.

They argued that Network Neutrality offers the unique opportunity for people of color to compete in business and create their own media presence. But many of the largest civil rights groups in the country, like the League of United Latin American Citizens, NAACP, National Council of La Raza, Urban League and the Asian American Justice Center have either opposed or expressed skepticism about the “unintended consequences” of passing Network Neutrality rules. They claim that Network Neutrality would widen the digital divide.

The industry has been using this scare tactic, this bogus talking point, to get the civil rights community to oppose our Internet freedoms and to prevent the FCC from passing Network Neutrality rules. The industry claims Network Neutrality would deter investment and increase costs, including the price of broadband. They also claim they would pass along the savings to customers if the FCC scrapped Network Neutrality protections.

But what the industry doesn’t want the public to know is that investment costs continue to decline for the industry while profits rise. Some companies are making 80 percent profit margins, yet they haven’t passed the savings along to customers. Continue reading.

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