NEW YORK — Broadband expert Maya Wiley, the Senior Vice President for Social Justice at The New School and the Henry J. Cohen Professor of Public & Urban Policy and Management at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, released the following statement about the decision by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to dismantle Obama-era net neutrality regulations:
“The Federal Communications and Telecommunications Commission is setting the country on a path to information inequality. Technology is changing the world and the internet has become a public utility. But the infrastructure was laid by big telecommunications firms who have benefited from federal policy decisions giving them monopoly power in exchange for serving customers fairly and equally. Yet even now, in the digital age, many Americans don’t have equal access – or any access – to the internet because it has become too costly.
“Telecommunications companies have failed to invest in our communities and now the FCC seeks to allow companies to give preferential access to content and speed for customers that pay more. From start-up companies to public educational programs to government, paid fast lanes will discriminate in concerning ways. Big telecommunications monopolies shouldn’t be able to price information out of the market simply because they are big. If we care about a free market economy, and equal opportunity, we must demand net neutrality.
“Scrapping net neutrality could mean that telecom companies can stop us from connecting any of our devices – our smartphones, tablets, laptops or routers – to our home networks and only allow fast traffic to their own brand of phone or the device that they get paid to privilege with their connection. Furthermore, large companies like AT&T and Time Warner Cable want to merge, consolidating cable and cellular internet access as well as video distribution. DOJ believes it will harm online video competition, video distribution competition and of course, in the end, consumers. Ending net neutrality, along with denying funds for low-income people to subsidize the high cost of their internet access, will worsen the problem and tear up access to the information superhighway.”
Maya Wiley is a nationally renowned expert on racial justice and equity. Wiley is the Senior Vice President for Social Justice at The New School and the Henry J. Cohen Professor of Public & Urban Policy and Management at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs. Before joining the New School, Maya Wiley was placed at the helm of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s effort to expand affordable broadband access across New York City.
Source: Mercury
“The Federal Communications and Telecommunications Commission is setting the country on a path to information inequality. Technology is changing the world and the internet has become a public utility. But the infrastructure was laid by big telecommunications firms who have benefited from federal policy decisions giving them monopoly power in exchange for serving customers fairly and equally. Yet even now, in the digital age, many Americans don’t have equal access – or any access – to the internet because it has become too costly.
“Telecommunications companies have failed to invest in our communities and now the FCC seeks to allow companies to give preferential access to content and speed for customers that pay more. From start-up companies to public educational programs to government, paid fast lanes will discriminate in concerning ways. Big telecommunications monopolies shouldn’t be able to price information out of the market simply because they are big. If we care about a free market economy, and equal opportunity, we must demand net neutrality.
“Scrapping net neutrality could mean that telecom companies can stop us from connecting any of our devices – our smartphones, tablets, laptops or routers – to our home networks and only allow fast traffic to their own brand of phone or the device that they get paid to privilege with their connection. Furthermore, large companies like AT&T and Time Warner Cable want to merge, consolidating cable and cellular internet access as well as video distribution. DOJ believes it will harm online video competition, video distribution competition and of course, in the end, consumers. Ending net neutrality, along with denying funds for low-income people to subsidize the high cost of their internet access, will worsen the problem and tear up access to the information superhighway.”
Maya Wiley is a nationally renowned expert on racial justice and equity. Wiley is the Senior Vice President for Social Justice at The New School and the Henry J. Cohen Professor of Public & Urban Policy and Management at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs. Before joining the New School, Maya Wiley was placed at the helm of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s effort to expand affordable broadband access across New York City.
Source: Mercury
No comments:
Post a Comment