11/7/2017 The Free and Open Net Is Under Attack, Again

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The Free and Open Net Is

Under Attack, Again
By Blake Irving · 1 Comments

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11/7/2017 The Free and Open Net Is Under Attack, Again

About two years ago, I wrote an article for Inc. Magazine warning of the
danger to the content neutrality of the Internet.  At the time, the FCC
was considering a move that would essentially divide the Internet into
two traffic lanes—one for big business and one for everyone else. That
meant Internet Service Providers could create “fast lanes” for preferred
companies or content, leaving small businesses, charities, and individual
initiatives to wither on the old, slow networks.

Along with many other leaders in tech, I felt an overwhelming

responsibility to speak out and make sure that the Internet remained
open and free.  Thankfully, the voices of tech, along with four million
individuals who also wrote to the FCC, made a difference and the
catastrophe was averted.  Now however, just 2 years later, the open
Internet is once again under threat by the new administration.  It’s
Groundhog’s Day all over again.

To help individual and small business voices be heard, GoDaddy, along

with hundreds of other technology companies, is participating on July
12th in  a “Day of Action on Net Neutrality.”  The day was created to
raise awareness for everyone who accesses the Internet to get informed
on the new danger we face, to share the news on their social networks
and to make their voice heard once more commenting on the FCC’s
proposal here before the deadline of July 18.  

A Free Internet is the Free Economy

The equalizing force of the open Internet, known broadly as “Net

Neutrality” is once again on the FCC’s table and nothing less than our
long-term economic well-being is at stake.  As I’ve argued in the past, the
open Internet has been the greatest force for positive economic and
social change I’ve seen in my lifetime. It connects people to ideas,
marketplaces and one another.

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No one has felt this equalizing force of the Internet more than small,
independent ventures. Over the past three decades, we’ve seen
countless businesses catapulted from obscurity to success purely by
the power of the open Internet.

Today our economy is in the midst of another revolution that marks a

massive shift in the way society operates. The ubiquity of Internet access
and impartial content delivery gives every business the unparalleled
opportunity to succeed. With an idea, some initiative, tons of grit and
virtually no money, an individual can create a venture that sustains
themselves and their family.  We’re transforming into a digital economy
that is powered by billions of individual ideas and efforts.  It’s an
economy that depends on the fairness and accessibility of the Internet.
The move once again by the FCC to introduce fast lanes would stifle
innovation and growth — and leave this revolution stalled on the side of
the road.

Unfortunately, the odds seem stacked against us this time around.

There’s a new sheriff in town at the FCC, and he is radically different
from the last. In 2015, the Chairman of the FCC was Tom Wheeler.  It took
a lot of convincing, but ultimately Chairman Wheeler came around,
writing in an article for Wired that protecting the open Internet “assures
the rights of internet users to go where they want, when they want, and
the rights of innovators to introduce new products without asking
anyone’s permission.” Despite Chairman Wheeler’s late-found
convictions, the FCC vote was still 3-2 to protect what made the internet
great since HTTP: was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989.

One of the two dissenting votes (and the most vocal opponent of Net
Neutrality) was cast by Ajit Pai, a commissioner whose background
includes work for Verizon as an Associate General Counsel. His reaction
to the net neutrality proposal was, “The Internet is not broken. There is
no problem to solve.” The translation is “there’s nothing unique that
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needs protection.” I respect Mr. Pai’s position as a vocal advocate for free
markets and I understand that he believes the result of Internet
regulation would be a decreased level of investment by network
providers. However, what Mr. Pai fails to understand is that in 2017, the
Internet is the free market and its openness is the key to its freedom.

Mr. Pai is now the Chairman of the FCC and with the welcoming of a new
administration to Washington, the entire political dynamic of the FCC
has changed. Under his leadership, the FCC has already voted to
reexamine the Net Neutrality policy that was formalized two years ago.
Worrisomely, the public conversation about this new threat to Net
Neutrality seems to be quietly advancing with much less attention than
last time.

Neutrality is Policy, Not Politics

Net Neutrality is in grave danger of falling victim to a wave of

partisanship rather than receiving the attention and discussion it is due.

Our leaders need to adopt a policy structure that promotes and

secures a better economic framework for independent businesses,
the foundation and strength of the US economy. 

The current administration is generally appointing heads of agencies

and commissions that are weary of regulation; including the
appointment of Ajit Pai to chair the FCC.  But if the administration’s goal
is to remove government barriers to business, Chairman Pai’s goal in
turn needs to be protecting what has made the Internet an incredible
force for economic freedom—and that means keeping the Internet data
neutral.

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Ironically, Chairman Pai and I share the same philosophy on maximizing

freedom and minimizing regulation where it’s not needed.  Where we
fundamentally disagree, however, is in the view of the Internet as a
product rather than a marketplace—or the marketplace. Chairman Pai
and opponents of a data neutral Internet simply view the Internet as a
commodity, and as such, believe it should be at the discretion of
providers to extract as much value from it as possible. But allowing
providers to build “fast lanes” for global enterprises by default makes
“slow lanes” for every small business and individual initiative that can’t
afford to pay the elite tolls.

Imagine if your local mall could direct the entire budget of your city’s
planning department.  Eventually all the roads to and from the mall
would be in pristine condition while the roads to Main Street shops
would fall into disrepair.  When customers can no longer navigate the
potholes and overgrown rambles on Main Street, they simply won’t go
back and your town mall would hold a monopoly on brick and mortar
business.  In this metaphor, Net Neutrality keeps the roads department
focusing on the entire area, not just the town’s big businesses.

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The Internet is the Marketplace

The reality of the Internet is that it has advanced well beyond being a
commodity. From the very first moment of network connectivity, we
were launched onto a path that culminates at one inflection point: the
Internet has become the most important marketplace for goods and
services in the history of humanity. The Internet’s commerce story
began much like the story of the  Sears Roebuck catalog; let me explain.

During the mid- to late- 1800’s, America was racing ahead with Western
expansion. New towns and communities were forming, far away from the
more urbanized east coast, and the railroads and postal system served as
critical connections between the two sides of the country. Sears Roebuck
recognized that this infrastructure created an environment primed for a
mail-order business. They released the first catalog in 1894, and it
exploded in popularity because it gave consumers access to products
outside of their physical geography. For the first time, farmers in rural
Wyoming could purchase many of the same products as a person living
in New York City.

The big difference is that the Internet has always been far more than just
the catalog of one company; it’s the catalog of every idea, plus the
railroads, the postal system and the spirit of exploration rolled into one.
That is what is at risk when we talk about the end of Net Neutrality. How
different would the story of Sears Roebuck and the US be if the postal
service or railroads had simply said, “We won’t deliver your catalog.” It
doesn’t require endless amounts of analysis to realize the chilling effect
that would have had on the development of communities and businesses.
That same chilling effect is what is bound to happen without Net
Neutrality, only on a global scale.

If network providers are incentivized to treat traffic preferentially, to

prioritize certain content and sites over others, the average small or
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medium business around the world will find themselves at a dramatic

disadvantage. Though I’m sure that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will
offer all businesses the opportunity to pay for prioritization, the
economies of scale will instantly favor large businesses. The same is true
for bringing new communities online. What’s more, ISPs aren’t likely to
invest in places where economic value isn’t as clear, like charities, clubs
and social groups.  Without a content neutral Internet all that will be at
risk.

These issues are the very reason the FCC moved to protect the Internet
two years ago.  There is a  precedent for protecting the Internet that
goes beyond economic theory.  As far back as 1934, when the
Communications Act was passed, the telephone was recognized as
central to interstate commerce. Any attempt to manipulate access or
openness of the telephone system was more than just a threat to a
business or a consumer. It jeopardized the well-being of an entire
economic and social system. Conservative government regulations
through the FCC weren’t implemented to limit the use of the telephone
(or broadcasting or any of the other elements of the Communications
Act). They were implemented to ensure that what had become a
marketplace for innovation remained open and stable.

Similarly, the Internet needs to remain open and free if we want it, and
all of the connections and innovations it enables, to grow. Chairman Pai
and his colleagues regularly point to a study that shows investment in
network infrastructure declining by 5.6 percent over the last two years.
That argument has been debunked on a number of fronts, with one of
the most important being the investment cost in network infrastructure
is actually decreasing over time. They also claim that small ISPs have
told them over and over again that Title II (the 2015 Net Neutrality
policy) has prevented them from building new networks. And yet, only a
few days ago, 30 small ISPs petitioned the FCC to maintain Net Neutrality
because it gave them a fair playing field just like the small businesses
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and communities they serve. They shouldn’t be left to stand alone for the
future of the Internet.

Your Voice Needed

The fact of the matter is we need Net Neutrality if we want a new,

vibrant economy. Big and small businesses alike are aligned around the
idea that an open Internet creates opportunity and spurs market growth.
The Internet isn’t just a utility – it is the utility fueling our global
economy. The Internet has become a necessity for the interaction of
consumers and businesses. If we allow the FCC to create an environment
that encourages preferential treatment, we’ll allow our government to
inadvertently starve innovation and small business initiative. Let’s not
let that happen.

That’s why this isn’t an argument for increased governmental regulation

in the Internet. Instead, it’s a demand for our government to help
preserve what is a foundational element of our future. I, along with
thousands of others, am asking you to become a part of making that
demand heard.

July 12th will be an incredibly important day in the fight for a free and
open Internet. It’s been coined the “Day of Action,” and GoDaddy, along
with 40,000 other companies like Amazon, Netflix, Twitter, and
Kickstarter, will use our home pages and channels to encourage users to
get involved in the conversation. You’ll see banners, messages and pages
all asking you to comment on the FCC’s proposal.

It may seem like an uphill battle, but there is power in your voice. Even
Thomas Jefferson, a man renowned for his belief that a little government
goes a long way, once wrote, “the basis of our government is opinion of
the people.” Based on what I witnessed in 2015, I believe the opinion of
the people is clear: we have to maintain an open Internet. I’m hopeful
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that you will make your voice heard—and at such volume the FCC can’t
ignore the volume.

I’m hopeful that you will make your voice heard—and at such
volume the FCC can’t ignore the volume.

Join me and GoDaddy in the conversation. Become a part of the Day of

Action by posting a comment in support of Net Neutrality during the
FCC’s open comment period which ends July 18. Our window of time is
limited, so take action now. The future of a free and open Internet is up
to you.

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Hi Priestess · Brand Ambassador at Touchdown Marketing, LLC.

We have to do something! I'm all for the free economy!
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