Internet Freedom Petition Drop Event at Senator Jeffords OfficeMontpelier, Vermont August 31, 2006
*** WATCH streaming video of today's event here ***
Statement of Colleen Thomas, Associate Director of VPIRG
My name is Colleen Thomas and I am the Associate Director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, VPIRG, the state’s largest nonprofit consumer and environmental advocacy group.
Imagine if one day you sat down to surf the Internet and it wasn’t all there… Whether you were going to catch up on the day’s news, research your vacation options, or listen to a podcast, it just wasn’t there, or it loaded so slowly it seemed like it wasn’t there.
Eventually, you’d grow frustrated. You’d give up. You’d log on to a bigger, more mainstream, ad-driven website linked directly from the homepage of your big media Internet provider. And Poof – their website loads immediately!
Think the scenario is far-fetched? Think again. That’s what an Internet without Internet Freedom will be like. That’s the Internet that telephone and cable company executives dream about.
And that’s why the SavetheInternet.com coalition is here today. We are here today to let Senator Jeffords know that over 3,200 Vermont citizens and small businesses want an Internet that works for everyone, not just for the big telecom companies.
The telephone and cable company backed bill –S. 2686 by Senator Stevens of Alaska that’s going to the Senate floor in September-- threatens Internet freedom. Unless it is amended it won’t guarantee what they call in Washington “net neutrality”, but what we know as the Internet’s founding principle of Internet Freedom.
Simply put, network neutrality means that no web site's traffic has precedence over any other's – all data is treated equally and delivered from the originating web site to the user's web browser with the same priority. No fast lane or slow lane.
Network neutrality is the Internet's First Amendment and has existed for the entire history of the Internet.
If companies like Comcast and AT&T have their way, however, web sites will have to pay protection money to get into the "fast lane" or risk opening slowly or simply not working on your computer. We can't let the Internet become captive to large corporations.
From its beginnings, the Internet was built on a cooperative, democratic ideal. It has leveled the playing field so that everyday people can have their voices heard by thousands, even millions of people. Network neutrality has prevented gatekeepers from blocking or discriminating against new economic, political and social ideas. It leaves the consumer to be the decision-maker, not the media giants.
That’s how independent bloggers can now compete with CNN and USA Today for readers. It’s how Vermont small businesses can compete and thrive in today’s global economy. It’s how our kids learn about and contribute to the diverse world community. Without this freedom we all stand to lose.
Connecting to your office could take longer if you don't purchase your carrier's preferred applications. Sending family photos and videos could slow to a crawl. Web pages you always use for online banking, access to health care information, or communicating with friends and family could fall victim to pay-for-speed schemes.
Today we want to thank Senator Jeffords for coming out in support of net neutrality this week. It’s important to know that he has heard the voice of thousands of Vermonters on this issue.
Vermonters understand that the Internet is a critical engine for economic growth and democratic discourse, and they don’t want to be relegated to second class citizens on the Internet by big media corporations.
That’s why it’s crucial for Senator Jeffords to not just support the “concept” of net neutrality, but to use his vote in the Senate to protect it by voting for the Snowe-Durgan Amendment that will protect net neutrality and to vote against the Stevens telecom bill as a whole if it fails to protect our Internet freedom.
Senator Jeffords is headed in the right direction. We now need to make sure his vote is cast for Internet freedom and against corporate special interest.
See also today's media coverage:
WCAX-TV Web article
Additional pictures from today's events
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