Feisty Aphrodite Archives
Net Neutrality scores a win in the FCC, but further action still needed
On December 28th, AT&T executives backed off of their efforts to reset the standards for Internet access by agreeing to adhere to Net Neutrality in a move that led the FCC to ensure their merge with telecom giant BellSouth. FCC approved the merge shortly after on January 2. However, experts say this is only the first round of the battle to protect the 'net.
AT&T was among other telecom titans including Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner that were lobbying the FCC to basically do away with the first amendment of the Internet (Net Neutrality) that guarantees everyone equal access. The corporations wanted to establish a sort of gate-keeping where they would be able to decide which websites their customers could access based on how much that site paid them to host it through their services. The victory won by AT&T's backing out of the deal was a very significant step in making sure Net Neutrality is protected. Now media activists are calling on you to help pressure Congress and the FCC towards writing Net Neutrality into law in 2007. To sign the petition, please click here, and then spread the word!
