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Save the internet
Monday, 19 June 2006 19:30Obnoxious cross-post of the political variety:
The Senate Commerce Committee is considering the new telecommunications legislation this week.
The big telecom companies like AT&T have succeeded in including a provision that will allow them to run the Internet like cable tv where they decide what content is the "premium" stuff and control access to it. Providers of content like Amazon would have to pay the telecoms extra to get their website through the faster channels.
AT&T and ComCast & all are spinning this as if that somehow will "free" the Internet.
What it actually will do, of course, is make these big rich companies even richer.
Think of it this way: You decide you're really Jonesing for McDonalds. You get in your car and find that Burger King has paid off the Highway Dept. to block all the roads that lead anywhere but to the Burger King. You could get to a McDonalds, but you'll have to walk and it'll take you days.
THAT is what a non-neutral Internet will be like. If you buy hard-to-find products online or try to use smaller retailers rather than big giants like Amazon, those companies could very well go out of business because they can't afford to pay the extortion rates AT&T is demanding.
We already pay them to get Internet service in our homes. Retailers and web sites pay someone to host their content. They're claiming that building a better Internet will require this. The Internet we have now and all the money it has brought to the telecoms and to multitudes of companies happened without these guys getting to charge protection fees to anyone. This is craven greed, pure and simple, and it must be stopped.
Firedoglake has put up the contact info for the committee, and I'm reposting it here. Also call your local talk radio and write to all your newspapers and media outlets. Push the McDonald's analogy. Get the idea out there that this is a bad, bad idea any way you can. KEEP THE INTERNET NEUTRAL AND OPEN.
You can contact the members of the Senate Commerce Committee via the main switchboard toll free at: 1-888-355-3588. Or you can contact them individually at the following phone and fax numbers:
Chairman Ted Stevens (AK): (202) 224-3004; FAX: (202) 224-2354
John McCain (AZ): (202) 224-2235; Fax: (202) 228-2862
Conrad Burns (MT): 202-224-2644; Fax: 202-224-8594
Trent Lott (MS): (202) 224-6253; Fax: (202) 224-2262
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX): 202-224-5922; FAX: 202-224-0776
Olympia J. Snowe (ME): (202) 224-5344; FAX (202) 224-1946
Gordon H. Smith (OR): 202.224.3753; Fax: 202.228.3997
John Ensign (NV): (202) 224-6244; Fax: (202) 228-2193
George Allen (VA): (202) 224-4024; Fax: (202) 224-5432
John E. Sununu (NH): (202) 224-2841; FAX (202) 228-4131
Jim DeMint (SC): 202-224-6121; Fax: 202-228-5143
David Vitter (LA): (202) 224-4623; Fax: (202) 228-5061
Co-Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (HI): 202-224-3934; Fax: 202-224-6747
John D. Rockefeller (WV): (202) 224-6472; Fax: (202) 224-7665
John F. Kerry (MA): (202) 224-2742 - Phone; Fax: (202) 224-8525
Byron L. Dorgan (ND): 202-224-2551; Fax: 202-224-1193
Barbara Boxer (CA): 202-224-3553
Bill Nelson (FL): 202-224-5274; Fax: 202-228-2183
Maria Cantwell (WA): 202-224-3441; Fax: 202-228-0514
Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ): (202) 224-3224; Fax: (202) 228-4054
E. Benjamin Nelson (NE): Tel: (202) 224-6551; Fax: (202) 228-0012
Mark Pryor (AR): (202) 224-2353; Fax: (202) 228-0908
It doesn't matter if you do not live in these states. Many of these Senators are waiting to decide based on their gauge of public opinion. It is imperative that they know how significant opposition to this idea is. CALL or FAX as many of them as you can within the next two days.
Copy this post, link to this post, both, go crazy and do whatever but get the word out there! As Christy said, it is time to light 'em up on this issue. Kill this idea in committee and keep the Internet free.
The Senate Commerce Committee is considering the new telecommunications legislation this week.
The big telecom companies like AT&T have succeeded in including a provision that will allow them to run the Internet like cable tv where they decide what content is the "premium" stuff and control access to it. Providers of content like Amazon would have to pay the telecoms extra to get their website through the faster channels.
AT&T and ComCast & all are spinning this as if that somehow will "free" the Internet.
What it actually will do, of course, is make these big rich companies even richer.
Think of it this way: You decide you're really Jonesing for McDonalds. You get in your car and find that Burger King has paid off the Highway Dept. to block all the roads that lead anywhere but to the Burger King. You could get to a McDonalds, but you'll have to walk and it'll take you days.
THAT is what a non-neutral Internet will be like. If you buy hard-to-find products online or try to use smaller retailers rather than big giants like Amazon, those companies could very well go out of business because they can't afford to pay the extortion rates AT&T is demanding.
We already pay them to get Internet service in our homes. Retailers and web sites pay someone to host their content. They're claiming that building a better Internet will require this. The Internet we have now and all the money it has brought to the telecoms and to multitudes of companies happened without these guys getting to charge protection fees to anyone. This is craven greed, pure and simple, and it must be stopped.
Firedoglake has put up the contact info for the committee, and I'm reposting it here. Also call your local talk radio and write to all your newspapers and media outlets. Push the McDonald's analogy. Get the idea out there that this is a bad, bad idea any way you can. KEEP THE INTERNET NEUTRAL AND OPEN.
You can contact the members of the Senate Commerce Committee via the main switchboard toll free at: 1-888-355-3588. Or you can contact them individually at the following phone and fax numbers:
Chairman Ted Stevens (AK): (202) 224-3004; FAX: (202) 224-2354
John McCain (AZ): (202) 224-2235; Fax: (202) 228-2862
Conrad Burns (MT): 202-224-2644; Fax: 202-224-8594
Trent Lott (MS): (202) 224-6253; Fax: (202) 224-2262
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX): 202-224-5922; FAX: 202-224-0776
Olympia J. Snowe (ME): (202) 224-5344; FAX (202) 224-1946
Gordon H. Smith (OR): 202.224.3753; Fax: 202.228.3997
John Ensign (NV): (202) 224-6244; Fax: (202) 228-2193
George Allen (VA): (202) 224-4024; Fax: (202) 224-5432
John E. Sununu (NH): (202) 224-2841; FAX (202) 228-4131
Jim DeMint (SC): 202-224-6121; Fax: 202-228-5143
David Vitter (LA): (202) 224-4623; Fax: (202) 228-5061
Co-Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (HI): 202-224-3934; Fax: 202-224-6747
John D. Rockefeller (WV): (202) 224-6472; Fax: (202) 224-7665
John F. Kerry (MA): (202) 224-2742 - Phone; Fax: (202) 224-8525
Byron L. Dorgan (ND): 202-224-2551; Fax: 202-224-1193
Barbara Boxer (CA): 202-224-3553
Bill Nelson (FL): 202-224-5274; Fax: 202-228-2183
Maria Cantwell (WA): 202-224-3441; Fax: 202-228-0514
Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ): (202) 224-3224; Fax: (202) 228-4054
E. Benjamin Nelson (NE): Tel: (202) 224-6551; Fax: (202) 228-0012
Mark Pryor (AR): (202) 224-2353; Fax: (202) 228-0908
It doesn't matter if you do not live in these states. Many of these Senators are waiting to decide based on their gauge of public opinion. It is imperative that they know how significant opposition to this idea is. CALL or FAX as many of them as you can within the next two days.
Copy this post, link to this post, both, go crazy and do whatever but get the word out there! As Christy said, it is time to light 'em up on this issue. Kill this idea in committee and keep the Internet free.
